Weathering the Storm
by batistaangel15
Summary: They've finally accepted themselves as a couple and almost lost everything at Canary Wharf. Now the Doctor and Rose continue to their promise of forever as they embark on new adventures - as well as the pressures of their relationship - while meeting new people, friends and enemies alike. Will the world split them apart? Series 3 rewrite, Second in the Just As It Should Be series
1. After the Storm

**A/N: Hello again ;) I know there's a lot of rewrites of season 3 but I wanted to try my hand at it. This follows after **_**An Unexpected Christmas Miracle**_** and is post Doomsday (obviously.) If you haven't already I'd recommend reading that first to have a clearer picture of the Doctor and Rose's relationship, though this could be read as a standalone story. **

**If something seems similar to another retelling of series 3 I assure you it wasn't intentional. I'm avoiding those stories so that I don't get ideas from their work and I can come up with my own. Plagiarism is **_**never**_** okay, people!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who or any of its characters. All rights to the owners, writers and the BBC. If I owned DW, I most likely would have been the person constantly stalking David Tennant on set (no shame) xD And I apologize for any mistakes. ;P**

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Rose lay in her bed - well technically it was the Doctor's bed which then turned into _their_ bed - curled up in a fetal position with her face buried in a pillow held close against her chest, eyes swollen from all of the crying she had done. She wished that everything was a dream, that this was all just a continuous and realistic nightmare that refuses to fade. But it wasn't, it was all true.

Prior to the events that recently happened she and the Doctor had spent a week hovering in the vortex and hadn't been on an adventure or even stepped a foot outside of the TARDIS during that period of time. After the Doctor took Rose to planet Noel, better known as the Christmas planet due to the fact that it's entirely dedicated to the Earth holiday, they had remained in the TARDIS to celebrate more of the holiday. That, and the fact that they had finally confessed to each other their feelings and took a giant step - no, more like a giant _leap_ - into their relationship and spent the time…occupying each other. Now that they had the right to without fears of shattering the boundaries of their friendship and making things seem awkward, it was hard to resist. It was overwhelming.

Of course neither one of them were being forced or pushed into doing certain things with each other, it was always mutually understood. They never took things too far but whenever they were both on the same page it was amazing. No, more than amazing - utterly and undeniably _incredible_. No, that wasn't the right word either. Fairly there was _no_ words to describe their relationship right now. Basically it was like living in a dream, a real life fantasy come true. A miracle that they came to this point given that they both held in everything until the surprise trip to Noel.

Everything was perfect, no worries of any kind, just…fantastical serenity.

_/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/_

_**Three weeks ago**_

_"Alright, what d'you say we give the Old Girl a spin, eh? Where should we go?" The Doctor clapped his hands together as he circled the console. _

_Rose sat on the jump seat, her hands gripping the edge and legs swaying in the air above the floor grating as he stood in front of her, his back to her as he started to press random controls. "I dunno."_

_He kept his attention on whatever he was doing on the console. He was probably just buying time since he didn't know where they should go to next. "C'mon Rose, think of somewhere. Anywhere, any_when. _Forwards, backwards, sideways -" he froze for a moment. "No, scratch that, no sideways. That's impossible. Well…" he drawled as he resumed pressing random controls._

_She shrugged her shoulders. "Doctor, I really don't know where to go. It's your ship, you decide."_

_A frown crossed his face as he turned to face her, one hand stilled on some kind of button. "Rose, you know very well that the TARDIS is_ your_ home too, meaning you have just as much say as I have." He inclined his head. "Maybe_ more_ even. No doubt She listens to you more than me, and She's been with me for centuries."_

_The TARDIS responded with a playful hum as the Doctor looked up at the ceiling before turning back to the console and Rose giggled. That was probably true. Lots of time the TARDIS seems to be on_ her_ side, leaving the Doctor to be ganged up by the two girls who meant everything to him. "Okay then, you promised a visit to Mum after Noel."_

_The Doctor stilled his hands on the console. "I did, didn't I?"_

_"Yes, Doctor you did. Remember? We agreed that after Noel we'd go see Mum for Christmas but we didn't get a chance to do that so we agreed to visit after going to New York on New Year's Eve. You even swore to it. Twice."_

_Oh, she must have been setting him up for that. The Doctor let out an exaggerated sigh and mumbled. "Oh, why did I have to swear to that? What was I thinking?"_

_Rose overheard him. "You really have no idea what you were thinking about at the time?" She teased with a smile._

_He chuckled. Did she even have to ask? Of course it was obviously a rhetorical question, one she was joking around with. He knew very well what was on his mind at the time. To be honest he hadn't stopped thinking about it since then. In fact…_

_"Oh, I have a _very _good idea of what was going on in my head," he sat down on the jump seat beside her, a smile tugging at his lips. He placed a hand on the side of her face, softly brushing his thumb over her cheekbone before moving it behind her head, bringing her close until their lips met. She let out a chuckle as she mirrored his position and rubbed his sideburn. Her other hand came up to tilt his head at a different angle to deepen the kiss, which he happily allowed with a low moan. _

_Rose was lucky she was seated on the jump seat because the Doctor knew just how to make her knees buckle. It was so easy to get lost in the moment with him, hence the fact that they have been couped up in the TARDIS for days doing the exact same activity. All of the holding back of their true feelings for each other and the constant angst of it all was going out in full force whenever they initiated this and neither one regretted it. However right now she knew exactly what the Doctor's intentions were: he was trying to divert her attention off of the topic. She made a small hum of protest as she put her hands on his chest and tried to push him away lightly. It wasn't working like she had hoped but managed to get a few words out in between kisses. "Doctor…you can't…just change…the subject…" _

_He grinned mischievously against her lips before silencing her protests by plunging his tongue deeper in her mouth. The moan that escaped from her was music to his ears and drove him over the edge even more. He pulled away when they were breathless and peppered her jaw with softer kisses before whispering in her ear. "Really? It's a gift with this gob. Gets myself out of trouble, gets myself _into_ trouble as well, not always, but the best thing is that I don't have to resort to just _one_ method of communication to convince you otherwise, Rose. I'm brilliant, remember?" He snickered as he descended down her neck with open mouthed kisses, her nails raked in his hair and scratching his scalp. Unaware they both pulled their legs up and under them on the jump seat at one point, giving each other more room and easier access. _

_She knew exactly where this was headed and didn't want to end it so soon, but if they kept this up her mum would have to be waiting an_ extremely _long time for them to visit her again. It was still surprising to Rose to see such an insatiable side of the Doctor, and he probably felt the same about her. What else could be expected from them after bottling everything up and finally releasing it. Finding a bit more strength this time around, Rose pushed on his chest again and this time he backed away. "As much as I would love to continue this, you made a promise, Doctor."_

_The Doctor closed his eyes and grumbled, exaggerating pain in his expression. "Roooose, we've done enough Christmas celebrating that's worth at least three Christmases, including New Year's. I don't think I have any strength in me to handle your mother right now. Especially now that we're…ehm…" he gestured between them with his eyebrows and hands._

_"You know we'll have to tell her about us soon, right?"_

_"Yes,_ soon. _Not_ now." _He stressed slowly. "I'm not looking forward to having another slap from one Jackie Tyler at the moment."_

_"Doctor, Mum won't slap you,"_ Hopefully. "_She's always had suspicions about us being together anyways so it might come to a relief to her knowing that she was right."_

_The Doctor shook his head. "And then she'll start interrogating me. Not looking forward to that either," he grumbled._

_Rose ran her hand down his arm comfortingly. "She knows how important you are to me and how I feel about you already. Once she sees that we've finally confessed it to each other she'll be happy for us. Don't you want her approval?" His eyebrows lifted to his hairline and grimaced. "You know what I mean, don't look at me like that."_

_"Rose, she once assumed that because I'm an_ alien _that I have tentacles," he squeaked in protest._ "Tentacles, _Rose! Where could I have tentacles?! And…_why?! _What do you think she'll say when we tell her about us? She'll think that whenever we kiss I'm using my-" he put the backs of his hands over his mouth, extending his fingers and wiggling them at her for emphasis, "-tentacle tongues."_

_Rose couldn't help but laugh out loud. That_ did _sound like something her mother would say. "Don't worry, Doctor. That's all we've done so she shouldn't mind."_

_He grumbled something indistinct and let out a sigh. "Alright fine." He stood from the jump seat and leaned back on the console. "But don't be surprised if I regenerate on the spot if she_ does _slap me."_

_Rose smiled as she stood after him and wrapped her arms around him. "Thank you. That wasn't so hard now, was it?"_

_The Doctor stroked her back and snorted. "Oh, you have no idea." Pulling back a fraction, he added, "I was going to take you to other New Year's celebrations-"_

_"You're all celebratory," she giggled._

_He sniffed. "Well, it's like I said. We can start a new tradition. You know, new beginnings and all that."_

_Rose stroked his arm. "Don't you mean_ new _new beginnings?" She smiled up at him sweetly._

_That happy noise came from his throat as he ducked down to capture her lips again and Rose met him halfway. Pulling away the Doctor groaned. "Rose, can we just skip right over to New Year's again? Your mother won't even know."_

_"Doctor, she's waited long enough don't you think?"_

_"She's waited long before, and she's doing a fantastic job at it. Now you on the other hand," he pointed an accusing finger at her. "You, Rose Tyler, don't even call your mum, so what difference does that make?"_

_She swatted his finger away. "Would you prefer that I call her every day, then?"_

_He tilted his head. "Well…."_

_"Then there's nothing wrong with a visit. Besides you brought it up before Noel," she reminded him_

_"Well I offered you an alternative in case you wanted to see her first," he replied, before adding softly. "I know how much you miss your mother at times, I get that. It's just that…" he shook his head, trying to make out his sentence. "Everything that I planned for the trip and hoped would happen actually_ did. _All of the time we've spent together over the last few days were all I could want. I felt alive, fully alive and…young, like ninety years old again."_

_Rose chuckled at him and reached for his hand. "It's all I've wanted too. These have been some of the greatest days I've had in a long time and I wouldn't trade them for anything." She leaned up and pressed her forehead to his. No, she would never trade it away. While the Doctor had admitted that he was still scared of the whole thing he never regretted taking such a huge step with her and neither did she._

_Pulling back the Doctor placed a light kiss to her forehead. "But!" He suddenly exclaimed, startling Rose as he moved around her to stand in front of the screen to plug in coordinates. "Before we make a trip to London we're gonna make a quick stop at a bazaar."_

_"What for?"_

_"Just need to pick up some parts for the TARDIS. And I know a really nice one located on a specific asteroid."_

_"An _asteroid_ bazaar?"_

_"Yep! Oh, it's amazing," he chirped._

_"You enjoy just about anything," she laughed._

_The Doctor clicked his tongue and winked as he pulled the lever._

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She couldn't help but smile inwardly at the pleasant flashback. Nothing was wrong in the world as it passed around them, not even a concern. They were trapped in the worriless, carefree bubble of their own joyous lives without any fears or madness. Time ultimately stopped whenever they shared such newfound moments of tenderness _and…love. _

Originally the Doctor had promised Rose that he would take them back to the Powell Estate to visit her mum right after leaving Noel. While he later protested that they could go back at any time when they weren't busy with their new accepted relationship, he knew it was the least he could do for her since she missed her.

How much that was a huge understatement right now.

Instead one thing led to another and they both ended up resuming their activities with each other. The Doctor even took Rose to New York - the actual city on Earth and not New Earth - on New Year's Eve to watch the ball drop in Times Square. Not just any New Year's Eve, but rather the very first one to feature the ball in 1907. It was such a beautiful experience for both of them. He lectured her about the very first ball and what it was made of and other things about the tradition and history. Once everyone started the countdown to bring in the new year, the ball dropped at midnight and they shared a loving kiss before singing along to Auld Lang Syne. Before they left for London the Doctor took them to an asteroid bazaar where the Doctor acquired spare parts for the TARDIS and Rose picked up a souvenir for her mother that can predict the weather.

If only it could have predicted the storm that was fast approaching their wake.

They finally arrived to the Powell Estate and visited her mum and caught up with recent affairs. Rose found the courage and told her about the relationship she and the Doctor finally accepted with each other, and Jackie was…well, a lot of things. At first she was stunned and immediately started to question the Doctor, as he expected, wondering if he had touched her with any…alien bits (at least she hadn't mentioned anything about _tentacle tongues)._ But the awkwardness passed and she, for the most part, was supportive. And then came in strange sightings of ghosts popping up all over the world and reality struck them.

It seemed that after saving her majesty Queen Victoria in 1879 from an alienated werewolf, she set up the Torchwood Institute to protect Britain from further alien threats - including the Doctor, putting him as public enemy number one despite the fact that he had saved the planet countless times. After discovering a rift in time and space the institute unbeknownst to themselves managed to poke at it in curiosity, ultimately forcing the walls between their universe and a parallel one to break down, and it was the same world where the TARDIS crash landed in and was being taken over by the Cybermen, and those were what the ghosts turned out to be. As if encountering those soulless drones again were bad enough an even greater enemy came through, and that was the bloody Daleks. Combining the two was an all put war for controlling humanity.

Luckily the Doctor came up with a plan to stop all of them as always with some help from the parallel Torchwood's team including Mickey, Jake, and the other version of Pete Tyler. The plan was to send every single enemy back into the Void, or better known as Hell, however everyone except her mum was in danger of being pulled into the dead space. Knowing this Pete sent her mum to the other universe where she would be safe. But when the Doctor had tried to send herself, she came back instantly. She made her choice a long time ago and wasn't going to leave him, not now, not ever. Especially after they both finally declared their love for each other and vowed to cherish all of the time they'd have together.

Of course nothing is ever simple with their lives and there had been a close call near the end.

The lever in front of Rose malfunctioned and started to close the walls too soon. She let go of her magnaclamp to pull it back into place, but it was challenging as the Void was pulling at her. Rose held on with all of her might but her fingers began to slip more and more until she couldn't maintain her grasp. The Void was pulling her in and all she could do was cry out. She remembered the fear on the Doctor's face as he screamed for her, still grasping his clamp when all he could do was watch in horror as he was unable to save her. And then she hit the wall with harsh force. She was so close to being separated from the Doctor forever. When the madness was over they held onto each other tightly for dear life, relieved that they had come so close losing each other.

But now Jackie was trapped on the other side of the Void in the parallel world, and far from her reach.

Rose closed her eyes and held back her tears. She had already cried enough in the last couple weeks and wasn't going to start up again. As she took a deep breath into her pillow a hand softly came to her arm, easing away sone of her tension. "Rose?"

"It's okay, Doctor, I'm awake."

"I already knew you were, I just wanted to check on you."

She sniffed, trying to keep her voice steady. "'M fine."

She felt her mattress dip as the Doctor sat down behind her and rubbed small circles over her back. "Okay. The other reason, the more important reason - well, your feelings _are_ important as well, not that I don't care about that, but this is a more-"

Rose chuckled. The slightest mannerisms he made always managed to be uplifting. "Spit it out, Doctor."

"I've finally found a gap to the parallel universe."

Rose opened her eyes and jerked up in bed. He was beaming at her, automatically causing her to do the same. "Really?"

He nodded once and tugged his earlobe. "It's very, very small, far too small for the TARDIS to travel through. But we can still get communication through for a few minutes." He held her hand in his and brushed his thumb over her knuckles, speaking softly. "I can't bring your mother back, but I can let you give her a proper goodbye." Rose felt the tears well up in her eyes once more. The Doctor was working so hard to find some kind of way possible to somehow get to the parallel world via travel or contact, and he found it. For her. Whatever it was as long as she'll see her mother one more time she'd take the opportunity. She opened her mouth but nothing came out. He squeezed her hand. "Are you ready for this, Rose?"

She nodded. "Yeah," her voice sounded broken but it was all she had at the moment. "I need to see her one last time." Smiling sadly he enveloped her in a quick but comforting hug before helping her stand up and took her into the console room.

Once there the Doctor explained to her how this would work. Because the gap was so small and beginning to close, the best way to communicate through it was via an astral projection. A large amount of power was needed for this to happen so he set coordinates for the TARDIS to drift in space, orbiting a supernova. He told her to stand in a certain spot and close her eyes and whisper her mother's name to get her attention and come with its perimeters. Of course this would be a projection, meaning no physical contact was to be initiated or else both worlds would fall apart. Rose did as told and was soon met with a transparent projection of Jackie Tyler standing in front of them, Mickey and the other Pete in the far background standing by a black jeep.

"Mum!"

"Rose, sweetheart," Jackie moved closer to them. "Where are you?"

"Inside the TARDIS," Rose replied. "There's this tiny gap left just about to close. It takes a lot of power to do this. We're orbiting around a supernova." She glanced away to the Doctor who had a small smile on his face. She laughed softly once. "The Doctor is burning up a sun just so I can say goodbye."

"You look like a ghost," Jackie commented, her brows furrowed.

"Hold on," the Doctor's voice called out. He moved from behind Rose to stand next to her and pointed his sonic at something on the side, making Jackie look solid.

She stepped closer and raised a hand to touch Rose's cheek "Can I—"

"We're still just an image," the Doctor said regretfully. "No touch."

"Can't you come through properly?"

Rose lowered her head as she shook it slowly. The Doctor spoke for her. "The whole thing would fracture."

"The two universes would collapse," Rose added, lifting her head.

"So?" Jackie gave a soft laugh making Rose smile. She knew her mum was half joking but she was attempting to lighten the mood.

"Where are we?" the Doctor asked, looking around. "Where did the gap come out?"

"Bloody Norway," Jackie said with a hint of irritation.

The Doctor nodded. "Norway, well…"

"This place's called Darlig Ulv Stranden."

Rose and the Doctor shared a glance at the name before simultaneously saying, "Dalek?"

"No, it's Dar-LIG," Jackie corrected the pronunciation. "Norwegian for 'bad.' Was told that it translates to 'Bad Wolf Bay.' What a name, eh?" Sharing another glance at each other, they couldn't resist smiling. Jackie might be confused by their amusement at the name but it was an inside joke for the both of them. "How long have we got?" she asked as they turned back to her.

Rose glanced at the Doctor again. "About two minutes," he said softly.

Jackie shook her head, a sad smile on her lips. "I don't know what I want to say!"

Rose pointed at the jeep in the background. "Still got Mickey hanging around I see, yeah? And…Dad?" He may not be her _real_ father but he was still Pete Tyler.

"There's five of us now," Jackie said. "Mickey let his gran move into the mansion with us. Who'd've imagined _me_ in a mansion. There's them, and the baby…"

Rose gasped and the Doctor's brows hit his hairline. "Oh my God, Mum!"

Jackie smiled and placed a hand on her stomach. "Three months gone. Pete couldn't believe it either, he was so happy. He'd always wanted one of his own." Her eyes were downcast.

They both smiled at her. "I'm so happy for you," Rose said, not caring about the tears starting to streak her cheeks.

The Doctor scratched his neck, not wanting to dampen the moment of happiness between the two, but time was running out. "You're dead, officially, back home." He swallowed. "So many people died that day, and you've gone missing. You're on the list of the dead."

"What about Rose?"

The Doctor nodded as Rose spoke softly. "Our flat isn't a home anymore, Mum. Nothing there for me or anyone else now. It's better that way."

Jackie nodded and started to cry now, making Rose bite her lip to hold back a sob. "Am I ever gonna see you again?"

"You can't," the Doctor said softly.

"I love you, sweetheart, and please don't you ever forget that. This is the life you've chosen and wanted and I'm proud of you with every decision you make. You're a strong woman, Rose and forget what I told you about changing. This was your choice and I support you." Rose nodded, barely holding back her tears. Jackie turned to the Doctor. "And you keep her safe, Doctor. She chose your way of life, chose _you, _so you better make her worth it. You better keep her happy, or I promise you, I will find a way back to you and slap you silly."

The Doctor's eyes widened. Oh, he never doubted her for one second. He kept her gaze and nodded. "I promise Jackie, I'll protect her with all my lives. I'll make sure of it."

"You better. She means more to me than anything, just as you both are to each other." She turned back to Rose. "I love you, sweetheart."

"I love you, Mum, I'm so sorry," Rose cried. "Tell Mickey, Pete, and the baby that I love them, and just be happy…"

With that, Jackie faded away from her spot. The sob Rose had been holding in finally forced out as the Doctor wrapped his arms around her soothingly rubbing her back as she buried her face in his chest, fisting his jacket once her tears began to flood his shirt. They stood in silence for a few short moments while the Doctor rocked her gently to stifle her shuddering breaths, the only sounds filling the room were Rose's muffled cries. Once she started to calm down, the Doctor rested his cheek on her head.

"I'm sorry, Rose," he said quietly as he stroked her hair. "I'm so sorry. I wish I could give you more-"

"Don't blame yourself, you did everything you could."

"Did I really?" He sounded uncertain and remorseful. "You'll never see her again all because of me."

She raised her head to look at him and brought a hand up to his cheek. "Hey, don't you dare do this," she said sternly but calmly. "I chose this, Doctor, ya got that? I made a promise to never leave you and I intend to keep it. I know I'll miss Mum a lot but I don't know what I'd do if I had gotten trapped in that world without you."

He brought his hand to cradle hers and leaned into her touch. "I don't want to think about that," he said softly. "You're here with me and that's all I could want."

Rose paused for a moment to steady her breath again. "Thank you, Doctor."

He brushed away some of the tears threatening to fall down her face with his thumb and dropped a kiss to her hair, brushing it back. Pulling back a fraction he searched her eyes and offered her a soft lopsided smile. One second he was staring into her eyes and then he lifted his head up like something else had caught his attention, his eyes widening and smile dropping to confusion. "What?"

Rose turned in his arms to follow his gaze and gaped at what was in front of them. A woman dressed in a wedding gown stood on the other side of the console facing the TARDIS door. She turned around and saw them staring at her in disbelief and gasped.

"What?" Rose repeated the Doctor's words.

The woman eyed both of them up and down. "Who are you?"

The Doctor looked around the room and sputtered. "B-but…"

"Where am I?" The woman asked, rolling her eyes and sounding irritated.

Rose's mind couldn't form a thought. "What?"

The woman grew more annoyed and raised her voice. "What the hell is this place?!"

Rose turned to the Doctor who was just as much dumbstruck as her. "What?!"

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**Oh how I love Donna lol can't wait to bring her in :D hope this was a good start! It took me a few days to try to come up with a name for this story. O_O I know this story's gonna be stressful but I'll do my best to update this as fast as possible ;) **


	2. The Runaway Bride Part 1

**A/N: I meant to post this earlier but I was caught up in a LOTR marathon ;)**

**I love this episode, it's hilarious and fun xD Thanks to all who've reviewed, followed and faved so far! :)**

**On a side note, I'm excited that the second series of Broadchurch starts tonight! But there's a slight problem: it only applies for the UK and doesn't come on here in America until March D': I can't wait a whole other two months to watch it so I'm gonna search for it online hehe I love my precious Hardy, hopefully he'll be okay this series *^_^**

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**Chapter 2: The Runaway Bride Part 1**

The Doctor, still gobsmacked, looked around the console room with widened eyes, searching for some kind of explanation as to why and how a ginger woman in a wedding dress was standing in the TARDIS with them. Rose was equally confused as she stared at him for an answer before turning back to face the woman, both trying to comprehend the situation and in result began talking over each other.

"You can't do that," he began, "I wasn't-"

"But we're in flight!" Rose cut in.

"-that-that is physically impossible!"

"Tell me where I am," the woman demanded, "I demand you tell me right now!"

"Inside the TARDIS," the Doctor answered, staring at her before turning back to the console.

"The what?" The woman questioned.

"The TARDIS," Rose repeated, holding her hands up as she cautiously walked toward the angry ginger woman.

"The what?"

"The TARDIS!" the Doctor shouted this time, turning to the controls.

"The _what?_"

"This," Rose gestured around the room, "is called the 'TARDIS.'"

"That's not even a proper word! You're just saying things."

"How did you get in here?" Rose asked softly, her brows still furrowed at her.

"Well, obviously, when you kidnapped me! Who was it? Who's paying you? Is it Nerys? Oh my God, she's finally got me back. This has got Nerys written all over it."

Rose's eyebrows shot up to her hairline. "_Kidnapped_ you?"

The Doctor turned away from the console briefly to stare at the woman yelling, still eyeing her with utter confusion as he stood behind Rose. "Who the hell is Nerys?"

"Your best friend." She spat at him.

Of course the Doctor missed the accusation of kidnapping. Rose held up her hands, still speaking calmly. "I swear to you, we didn't kidnap you and we don't know any Nerys. You just…_appeared_."

"Hold on, wait a minute," the Doctor cut in and nodded at the woman, "What're you dressed like that for?" Rose elbowed his side gently at his ridiculous question. Clearly he was extremely more disoriented at this situation than she thought.

"I'm going ten pin bowling," the woman answered sarcastically, before raising her voice again, "Why do you think, dumbo? I was halfway up the aisle!"

The Doctor raised his eyebrows as the woman kept raising his voice. He turned around again and fiddled with the controls as Rose followed him. The woman walked around towards them and Rose kept a cautious eye on her. _What the hell was happening?_

"I've been waiting all my life for this," the woman continued her rant, "I was just seconds away! And then you, I dunno, you drugged me or something!" She accused, gesturing at them.

"We haven't done anything!" the Doctor defended, shaking his head.

"We're having the police on you both! Me and my husband, as soon as he is my husband, we're gonna sue the living backside off ya!"

The Doctor brushed off her threat and focused on the task at hand to get this woman back to wherever she came from. Rose came to stand beside him, ignoring a sudden wave of dizziness wash over her. "Doctor, do you know anything about this?" She asked quietly.

He snorted, still fiddling with controls. "Only that this is just physically _impossible_," he answered back. He muttered something indistinct and shook his head.

"Apparently it _is_ possible. But no one should be able to just magically appear on board when we're in-flight."

"It shouldn't happen _all_, Rose, it's wrong," He scratched his neck, eyes remained on the console. When he raised his head to face Rose the Doctor's attention went over her head. "No, wait a minute!" He shouted. The woman noticed the doors and was making a break for them. "Don't!" The Doctor ran around Rose to get to the woman but he was too late.

She already made it to the doors and threw them open wide and stopped dead in her tracks when she was met with the supernova they were still orbiting around. A quiet gasp escaped from her as she stood absolutely still at what lay beyond her. The Doctor walked down the ramp towards her with Rose right behind him. Catching up to the woman he stood next to her and Rose leaned against the door frame and he wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

"You're in space," the Doctor explained gently, bringing her close to his chest so she could she the outside with them. Rose rested her head over his left heart and placed a hand on his chest as she gazed out at the stars listening to the Doctor continue to talk. "Outer Space. And this is my…" he paused for a second, "spaceship. It's called the 'TARDIS.'"

The woman's mouth still hung agape. "How am I breathing?" She finally said.

"That's the TARDIS," Rose answered. "She's protecting us."

"'_She_?'"

Both the Doctor and Rose nodded at her.

"Who are you?" The woman asked, sounding calm for the first time.

"I'm Rose," she introduced herself before patting the Doctor's chest with her hand, "And this is the Doctor. And you are?"

"Donna."

"Human?" the Doctor asked, eyeing her up and down.

"Yeah. Is that optional?"

The Doctor tilted his head. "Well, it is for me."

Donna took her eyes away from the supernova to look at them both. "You're aliens." She stated acceptingly.

"Well I am, Rose is human." He tilted his head again and drawled to himself, "Weeell," he rubbed Rose's shoulder and muttered quietly so only she could hear him, "she's far from an ordinary one."

Rose smiled up at him before bringing her attention back to Donna, who was staring at them in their small embrace, letting everything sink in. "You must be freezing with these doors open." Straightening up and releasing her arms from the Doctor, Rose reached out and quietly shut the doors as the Doctor dashed back to the console speaking a mile a minute - no, more like second.

"But I don't understand it and I understand everything! This-this can't happen! There is no way a human being can lock itself onto the TARDIS and transport itself inside. It must be..." he went under the console and grabbed an ophthalmoscope, spinning around and using it look into Donna's eyes. Completely oblivious to her confusion, he continued to ramble rapidly in her face, "Impossible. Some sort of subatomic connection? Something in the temporal field? Maybe something pulling you into alignment with the chronon shell. Maybe something macro-mining your DNA within the interior matrix. Maybe a genetic-"

_Whack_. Donna cut him off suddenly by slapping his cheek hard, causing him to stumble back a bit. Rose couldn't help but suppress a laugh by shielding her smile behind her hand. As much as she should probably feel more sorry for him, he had it coming for talking Donna's ears off, to be honest.

"What was that for?" he questioned indignantly.

"GET ME TO THE CHURCH!" Donna shouted, now appearing angrier and more impatient with each second that goes by.

The Doctor threw his instrument by the console as he turned back to it. "Right! Fine! We don't want you here anyway!"

"Where's this wedding at?" Rose asked, still facing the impatient woman.

"Saint Mary's, Hayden Road, Chiswick, London, England, Earth, the Solar System," Donna answered, her volume raising a hair louder with each word.

Rose nodded as she turned to join the Doctor by the console. He was focused on plugging in the coordinates so that they could get Donna back to where she belonged. Once she made it towards him another sudden wave of dizziness overcame her. Gripping the edge of the console she blinked rapidly for a moment to clear the spots in front of her eyes as well as the lightheaded fogginess in her head. The Doctor didn't notice her discomfort as she hid it once he spoke up. "Right! Chiswick."

The moment the TARDIS touched the ground Donna practically ran out of the room, the Doctor and Rose slowly coming behind her to stand at the doors. As quickly as she quieted down she then started to shout back at them. "I said 'Saint Mary's,' what sort of Martian are you? Where's this?"

Rose copied Donna and craned her neck to get a better look at their surroundings, squinting at the sunlight before shielding her eyes with her hand. Something felt…wrong. Rose couldn't quite describe exactly what the feeling was but it was uneasy. She turned to the Doctor who was stroking the edge of the TARDIS doors with concern. No doubt that he could feel it too. "Doctor, something's wrong with the TARDIS," she told him.

He nodded. "It's like she's…recalibrating!" In a flash he rushed back in to the console, Rose following right behind him. "She's digesting," he said. The Doctor placed a hand gently on the time rotor and looked up at the ceiling. "What have you eaten? What's wrong?"

Rose placed a hand on the rotor next to his. She felt a trembling feeling in the pit of her stomach and jerked her hand away like she had been burned. The Doctor noticed how she recoiled and immediately looked concerned. "Rose, what's wrong?"

She waved him off. "S'nothing, Doctor. I'm just a little sick in the stomach."

His brows furrowed. "Sick? You didn't tell me you felt sick, when did it start?"

"A couple minutes ago, it's nothing," she brushed off again. It probably wasn't anything important. "'S probably my nerves from saying goodbye to Mum, that's all. We should focus back on Donna right now."

The Doctor nodded. "Okay, but if it doesn't ease up later I'll check you up in the medbay if you want." Turning back to the console to fiddle with controls, he called back for Donna. "Donna? You've really gotta think. Is there anything that might've caused this? Anything you might've done?" He bent down to pick up a stethoscope and began to move around the console, trying to figure out what was going on. "Any sort of alien contact? I can't let you go wandering off in case you're dangerous. I mean, have you seen lights in the sky? Or, did you touch something? Something-something different? Something strange? Something made out of a sort of metal or-"

Rose turned away from the console and glanced outside. Donna was running around the outside of the TARDIS, bewildered by its size differentiation. "Uh, Doctor-"

He wasn't paying attention. He was more focused on the TARDIS at the moment while trying to find an answer to, well everything. "Who're you getting married to? Are you sure he's human? He's not a bit overweight with a zip around his forehead, is he?"

"Doctor," Rose tugged at his sleeve, gaining his attention. He stopped talking and turned around. Donna stood by the doors and stared at them. Before they knew it she turned to sprint away.

"Donna!" Both the Doctor and Rose shouted as they ran after her, Rose fighting against the lightheadedness. Once they caught up to her she gradually slowed down a bit but still tried to get far away from them as possible. They walked beside her - Rose on her right and the Doctor to her left - and matched her step to step. They needed to figure out how she transported herself into the TARDIS and they couldn't do it without the main factor.

"Donna," the Doctor began gently.

"Leave me alone," she shot back angrily, "I just want to get married."

Rose lightly touched her arm. "Come back to the TARDIS."

Donna shook her head. "No way! That box is too...weird."

The Doctor shrugged. "It's...bigger on the inside, that's all."

"Oh! That's all?" she let out an exaggerated sigh and checked her watch, and tried to hide the emotional thickness in her voice. "Ten past three. I'm gonna miss it."

"You can phone them. Tell them where you are," The Doctor suggested.

"How do I do that?"

"Haven't you got a mobile?" he frowned. Rose shot him a look and shook her head. _Wow, he's still very disoriented._

Donna stopped walking and stared at him like he dribbled on his shirt. "I'm in my wedding dress. It doesn't have pockets. Who has pockets? Have you ever seen a bride with pockets?" The Doctor realized the silliness of his question and scratched the back of his neck awkwardly as she continued. "When I went to my fitting, do you think I said, 'Alison, the one thing I forgot to say is give me _pockets?'"_

He squinted his eyes as she yelled the last word and nodded. "This man you're marrying, what's his name?" the Doctor asked.

"Lance," Donna said affectionately with a loving smile.

"Good luck Lance," he said and Rose bit back on a laugh.

"Oi!" Donna said offensively, pointing a finger at him. "No stupid Martian is gonna stop me from getting married. To hell with you!" She turned and ran off again, leaving the two behind.

"I'm…I'm not...I'm not...I'm not from Mars…" the Doctor mumbled.

"What're you waiting for, go after her," Rose said, holding her stomach.

The Doctor saw Rose's discomfort and grew concerned again. Why did she suddenly feel sick? She was fine ten minutes ago. "What's wrong?"

"Stomach ache, 's all. I don't wanna slow you down. I can stay with the TARDIS, see if she's doing alright."

The Doctor was about to protest but Donna was getting further away from their reach and she was important to figuring out this whole mysterious and impossible thing. "Okay, I'll be right back. Just…don't wander off."

Rose arched an eyebrow at him. "Where'm I gonna go, Doctor?"

He gave a small smile and scrunched his nose. "Anything's possible with you," he joked.

"You have room to talk, don't you mean _us_?" she retorted back with a smile.

The Doctor grinned. "Oh yes, never doubted it." He leaned down to give her a quick peck on the lips before running after Donna.

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Rose walked slowly back to the TARDIS and shut the doors. Her head felt cloudy and congested while her stomach was churning and in knots. What the hell was wrong with her? She didn't feel like this when she said goodbye to her mum through the projection, and her nerves were shaken on high ends during that tearful farewell but not this way. So why was she like this? Was it all just shock from this whole Donna appearing on the TARDIS while in-flight mystery?

Plopping herself down on the jump seat with a sigh, Rose leaned back to look up at the time rotor. The TARDIS wasn't feeling well either and the Doctor couldn't figure out why. Leaning back further she patted a coral strut just within reach. "What's the matter, girl? What's gotcha down?" She asked softly. The TARDIS responded with a light hum, but Rose wasn't sure what it meant. It sounded like She was telling her nothing was wrong all the while hiding how she really felt. Almost like asking a little kid with a scrape on their elbow if it hurt and they brushed it off, despite the fact they were about to cry. It was…odd.

Taking her hand away from the strut Rose lolled her head back and closed her eyes. Her head still felt foggy and her stomach turned. _This has to be from the shock,_ she thought. Yeah, shock from this whole Donna incident and shock from saying goodbye to her mother for the last time. Oh, how she missed her. Granted, she knew her mother was supportive and proud of Rose no matter what, she just wanted her to be happy with the choices she made. And she was. She had the Doctor and that was more than enough of a reason to enjoy life. She just wished the same for her mother. Another Tyler was on the way, a little brother or sister, and she would never meet them.

With her eyes still shut she reminisced on some pleasant memories with her mum, from when she was a little girl first attempting to ride a tricycle to when she was an official adult coming to her and swapping stories about past boyfriends and her motherly advice. She thought about the last conversation between them in this very room, left alone while the Doctor was outside dealing with the 'ghost.' Her mother asked when this lifestyle of hers would stop and if she'd ever settle down. When she said her final goodbye, she took back everything she said and supported her choices. Jackie knew how important the Doctor was to her and respected her decisions.

The peace and quiet ended almost instantly when she heard a familiar voice call from outside. "Rose! Get the door!"

Jumping to her feet she sprinted down the ramp and thrust the door open, and almost getting tackled by the Doctor. She stepped off to the side to give him room as he ran towards the console. "What happened? Where's Donna?" Rose asked, following him.

"The Pilot fish are back," he said quickly, running around the controls frantically in blinding speed. "Donna got in a cab that was being driven by one and they're getting away with her."

"So I take it we're back to the original Christmas tradition then," she commented lightly.

He looked up from the console and grinned. "Just like old times, eh?" His joking tone turned one to seriousness and assurance. "I can lock onto it though and we'll be able to locate where they're going and get her back here."

"What do they want with her?"

"I've got no idea, but we'll never know if we can't get her back. This mystery's getting more exciting, innit?"

Rose giggled as she stood next to him at the console. "Does that make us Holmes and Watson, then?"

"Ooh, nice one! No doubt I'm Holmes," he nudged her shoulder playfully before returning at the task at hand. "Hold on tight." The TARDIS began to jerk wildly as the Doctor steered it. Of course it was easier said than done as his ship wasn't cooperating fully. After a sudden dangerous tilt to the side that almost sent the both of them toppling over down the ramp, he bent down to retrieve his mallet from underneath and smacked it against the console, creating a _ding_. "Behave!"

Gripping the console with a white knuckle grip Rose held herself up. "Doctor, are we…_flying_? Like _really_ flying?"

"Yeah, She doesn't really like it cos it's something She doesn't technically do, but it's the only way to reach the cab," the Doctor replied, making a frustrated sound as he whacked the console again with the hammer. Another jerk caused them to fall down on the floor briefly before bouncing them back up. Just as he was about to hit the console again an annoyed hum filled their ears, causing the Doctor to grit his teeth and grumble.

"She also doesn't appreciate being hit with a hammer," Rose informed him.

The Doctor grunted and threw the mallet back under the console and peeked at the monitor to see where they were. They were close. "Rose listen, this is important. See that lever there," he nodded his head to his left indicating said control, "keep a hold onto it, don't let go of it. When I say, you push it forward, got it?"

"Yeah," she answered. She moved over to the side and grasped it and he ran towards the doors. The moment he opened them he was met with the motorway speeding by and held onto the sides of the door frame for leverage. A taxi cab was directly in front of him with a frightened ginger woman in the backseat.

"Open the door!" he yelled at Donna in the taxi. Her window was up but surely she could hear him, or at least be able to make out his words.

"Do what?" she yelled back.

Or maybe not. "Open the door!" he repeated slower this time, not dropping his volume.

"I can't, it's locked!" she answered. The Doctor gritted his teeth and made another frustrated noise as he leaned against one side of the door to pull out his sonic to point it at her door. His hair was whipping in the wind from speeding The lock was picked and Donna rolled the window down. "Santa's a robot," she said surprised.

He sighed and rolled his eyes at her. "Donna, open the door!"

"What for?"

"You've got to jump!"

"I'm not bleedin' flip jumping, I'm supposed to be getting married!" She hollered.

Before he could respond to her stubbornness the taxi gained its speed and left him behind in its dust. He cursed inwardly as he called back into the TARDIS. "Rose, pull it now!" She did as she was directed and pulled the lever. He heard a flickering sound and something exploding. Whipping his head back to check on Rose, he noticed the console smoking with a small fire on the opposite side begin to spark.

"Watch out!" He cried just as she yelped when a small explosion blew up close to her around the console. The TARDIS jerked again and made contact with the roof of another car in front of them causing him to stumble. The Doctor gripped the sides of the door frame tightly but was thrown off balance when the TARDIS connected with the asphalt of the speeding motorway, skidding against it for a split second before finally coming to drift next to the taxi again. Now that they were in an even line with the vehicle he pulled himself back up and turned his head to look back inside to see if Rose wasn't hurt.

"'M fine, don't worry about me," she called to him. Her safety would always be his number one priority.

The Doctor turned back to the taxi and yelled at Donna again. "Listen to me, you've got to jump!"

"I'm not jumping on a motorway," Donna shouted back defiantly.

"Whatever that thing is, it needs you," he quickly explained. "And whatever it needs you for, it's not good. Now, come on!"

"I'm in my wedding dress!"

"Yes! You look lovely!" he exasperated. "Come on!" _Rassilon, this_ _woman is a real piece of work._

Donna finally took his word and opened the door, slowly coming toward the edge as the Doctor held his arms out readying himself to catch her.

She glanced up at his waiting arms then down at the speeding motorway. When she looked back up the fear in her eyes was evident. "I can't do it."

"Trust me," he said calmly with a low and serious tone. The panic in her face wasn't letting up as much, so he had to reassure her with the one thing he was absolutely certain about. The one thing that kept him going now matter what fears came face to face with him. "Rose trusts me with her life, Donna. She's been with me for years and never once did she not trust me, I can assure you. Now, jump!"

His encouragement was all the motivation Donna needed as she flitted her gaze once more between the asphalt and himself. Taking a deep breath she finally jumped with a shriek and landed in his arms, knocking him back into the bottom of the ramp as they fell together. As if on cue the TARDIS doors slammed shut as it shot into the sky and away from the motorway. Looking back at the console he saw Rose walk over to them to help both him and Donna to their feet.

Once he stood he pulled Rose in for a tight hug and kissed the top of her head. "You were brilliant," he praised as he released her to circle back to the still smoking console to take over. The TARDIS needed a break after that wild chase.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The Doctor parked the TARDIS on a roof and informed Rose and Donna to exit immediately to avoid breathing in the clouds of smoke. They stood together outside and watched as he used an extinguisher to settle the smoke from thickening even coughed and gagged a couple times, and it wasn't pretty.

Rose tried to peek inside to get a glimpse of him to make sure he was okay, but the smoke clouds obstructed her view. "You all right in there?" She called out to him. Although he could handle things differently than humans it still was a concern.

The extinguisher stopped for a second. "Yep, all good," he called back in his normal tone as he made his way out of the TARDIS and gave it one last spurt before shutting the door. "Whew, that's thick." He set down the extinguisher and made his way over to the girls. "Thing is, for a spaceship, she doesn't actually do much flying." He twisted his head back to look at the damage and saw streaks of smoke still pouring out. "We'd better give her a couple of hours," he said. "You two all right?"

Rose nodded, pressing her lips together tightly. The Doctor furrowed his brows at her and moved closer. "Rose?" He noticed the way she was hiding her left hand in the sleeve of her jacket. He reached over and took it away from her body to have a look. He turned over her hand to inspect it and found a few burns discolored on the skin of the backs of her knuckles and one on the palm of her hand. Though small, they still would leave nasty welts and scabs. Luckily this was all she got when the console exploded around her. He arched an eyebrow at her and in response she rolled her eyes at him.

"I'm fine, Doctor," she stressed. "They don't even hurt that much, they're nothin'"

The Doctor looked down at her burns again and brought her hand up to brush a soft kiss over each one over her knuckles then flipped her hand over to place on on her palm. "Anything else? Still feel sick?"

She shook her head. "I'm feeling better right now, jus' a little clouded, not too bad."

Accepting that, he let go of her hand and turned his attention to the ginger woman. "And you, Donna?"

"Doesn't matter," she said with a shrug, her voice flat.

"Did we miss it?" Rose asked.

"Yeah."

"Well, you can book another date," the Doctor suggested lightly.

"Course we can," she said, but the flatness in her tone didn't let up.

Rose moved closer to her and lightly touched her arm. "Still got the honeymoon."

"It's just a holiday now," she shrugged again.

"We're so sorry," Rose said sadly.

"It's not your fault," she shook her head at them. "Neither of you."

"Oh!" The Doctor's brows arched slightly at that and smiled at Rose on the other side of Donna. "That's a change." She returned his small smile with one of her own.

"Wish we had a time machine, then we could go back and get it right." Donna said.

The Doctor and Rose shared a quick glance before he said, "Yeah, but…even if I did, I couldn't go back on someone's personal timeline. Apparently."

Donna took her gaze away from the horizon and gave him a suspicious look before walking slowly over to the edge of the roof and sat down. The Doctor and Rose shared another sad glance before following her. He took off his jacket to put it around Donna's shoulders so that she wouldn't freeze and sat next to her with Rose on his other side.

"God, you're skinny," Donna commented, trying to wrap the jacket around her more fully. "This wouldn't fit a rat."

The Doctor leaned over to Rose and whispered. "First complaint I've heard for it, eh?" Rose patted his arm. He straightened his posture and spoke up this time. "Oh," he reached in his pocket and pulled out an object, "and you'd better put this on."

Rose eyed the item and it looked like a wedding ring. She elbowed his side and muttered at him warningly. "Doctor." He looked at her confused. _He didn't even realize what he was doing. Still disoriented_, Rose thought.

Donna saw the ring. "Oh, do you have to rub it in?"

"Those creatures can trace you. This," he held up the ring to her as he took her hand, "is a bio-damper. Should keep you hidden." He slipped the ring on her finger, "With this ring, I thee bio-damp." He added, popping the 'p' at the end.

"For better or for worse," Donna said lightly showing it off. The Doctor grinned at her before facing the horizon again while slipping his arm around Rose's shoulder, pulling her closer to rest on his chest. Donna turned back as well and asked, "So, come on then. Robot Santas, what are they for?"

"Ah, your basic robo-scavenger," the Doctor answered. "The Father Christmas stuff is just a disguise. They're trying to blend in. We met them last Christmas."

"Why, what happened then?"

"Big spaceship over London," he said. How can anyone not know about it?

"We were on top of it. You didn't notice?" Rose added, surprised.

"I had a bit of a hangover," Donna shrugged.

The Doctor glanced down at Rose, arching his brows. She just patted his chest and shrugged, turning back to the skyline.

"We spent Christmas Day just over there, at the Powell Estate," Rose pointed across the skyline to her former residence. "That's where I'm from." She gestured at the Doctor. "Even made him wear a paper crown."

He sniffed and adjusted his tie. "And I looked quite dashing in it, don't you think?"

Rose put a finger on her chin as if in thought. "Hm, maybe." The Doctor turned to her with mock offense which led to both of them giggling. She patted his knee before finishing what she was saying. "Spent it with my old friend and…my mum." She took a breath as she remembered that day. Crazy as it was it was also one of the best days of her life. The Doctor had regenerated into the man he was now and everything was new for the both of them.

Her smile dropped to a frown. "Nothing there for me now," she added quietly. The place had so many great memories, now that's all she had left of it - just memories. No one living there anymore, what good was it now? She felt the Doctor squeeze her upper arm comfortingly as she pillowed her head on his shoulder. He rested his head on hers and kissed her softly on the top as they looked out in the distance.

Donna watched the two hold onto each other. Something serious must have happened since they were both smiling and laughing one minute and now they seemed to be grieving. It was none of her business but she wanted to know, she was curious. "What happened?" she asked softly.

Glancing down at Rose as they both sat in silence, the Doctor shifted uncomfortably and rubbed her arm gently as she straightened up. They couldn't get into this, not now. The pain was achingly fresh and not to be prodded with at the moment. It was depressing enough for the both of them, and he didn't want to burden others with their grief. Instead of answering Donna's question he threw her one of his own returning attention to the current situation.

"Question is," he turned to Donna, "what do camouflaged robot mercenaries want with you? And how did you get inside the TARDIS? I don't know-" He lifted his arm from around Rose to reach over and pull out the sonic from his suit jacket still wrapped around Donna. "What's your job?"

Rose watched Donna eye him suspiciously again as he scanned her with the sonic. "I'm a secretary," she said.

"It's weird," he said. "I mean you're not special, you're not powerful, you're not connected, you're not clever, you're not important-"

Rose smacked his arm, but it didn't seem to phase him.

"Tell me, Rose," Donna said with an annoyed tone. "Did you ever just wanna punch him in the face?" The Doctor didn't even register her words as his concentration on the sonic was of more importance. Donna swatted his hand away, "Stop bleeping me!"

The Doctor just stared at her as if he didn't know what he had done wrong. Rose pinched him in the side, making him jump slightly. "Rude," she whispered, scolding him.

His eyes flitted between the two women. "What?"

"Is he always like this?" Donna asked.

Rose shook her head. "No, not all the time. He's just confused and stressed out by everything cos he doesn't know what's going on, and he knows everything." She squinted at him. "Well, _almost_ everything."

"Oi!" The Doctor cried.

Donna snorted. "Men, am I right? Martian or not they're all the same."

The Doctor huffed. When did everyone start ganging up on him? They needed to go back to the original topic. "Anyway," he drawled. "Getting back on track, what kind of secretary are you?" He asked.

"I'm at HC Clements," Donna answered. "It's where I met Lance." She said affectionately. "I was temping. I mean, it was all a bit posh really. I'd spent the last two years at a double glazing firm. Well, I thought, 'I'm never gonna fit in here', and then he made me a coffee. I mean, that just doesn't happen. Nobody gets the secretaries a coffee. And Lance - he's the head of HR, he don't need to bother with me! But he was nice, he was funny, and it turns out he thought everyone else was really snotty too. So that's how it started, me and him - one cup of coffee. That was it."

"When was this?" the Doctor asked.

"Six months ago," she said, still with affection.

"Bit quick to get married, innit?" Rose asked, raising her brows.

"Well, he insisted," Donna said. "And he nagged, and he nagged, and he just wore me down and then finally, I just gave in."

The Doctor pressed his lips together as Rose nodded. He gave her a quick glance and he swore he heard a small chuckle escape from her. "What-what does HC Clements do?"

"Oh, security systems, you know. Entry codes, ID cards, that sort of thing. If you ask me, it's a posh name for 'locksmiths'."

"Keys…" the Doctor drew out as he thought. Codes, keys… maybe it could contain different kinds of keys, and not the basic conventional ones.

"Anyway, enough of my CV," she said, bringing the Doctor out of his thinking. "Come on, it's time to face the consequences. Oh, this is gonna be so shaming. You can do the explaining, Martian-boy."

"Yeah…I'm not from Mars," he informed her firmly before standing up with Rose, his arm now around her waist. He held out a hand for Donna at the same time and helped her up, taking his jacket off of her shoulders.

"Oh, I had this great big reception all planned," Donna remembered as she walked to the TARDIS. "Everyone's gonna be heartbroken."

Rose followed after her when the Doctor pulled her aside. "Was I being rude again earlier?" he asked.

Rose chuckled and patted his forearm. "Yes, you were. But that's who you are, right? Mr. Rude and Not Ginger," she smiled at him sweetly. He made a happy sound in the back of his throat. Rose leaned closer to him and lowered her voice, "Though Donna's pretty ginger, don't ya reckon?"

"That she is," he laughed. "A fiery one at that."

She eyed him. "You know, she asked me if I ever wanted to punch you in the face before," she teased.

His eyes bulged. "What?! Why would she ask that?"

"You said she wasn't important or special, Doctor."

"No no no, I didn't mean it that way, I meant…she's just…not like…" he scratched the back of his neck as he sputtered. He let out a sigh. "Oh." He blinked a few times before asking, "Y-you never actually wanted to punch me in the face, did you? I mean, you've hit my arms but…you wouldn't punch my face." She didn't answer him. His eyes widened. "Rose?"

She burst out with laughter. "Your face was the best," she placed a hand on his arm. "No, Doctor."

He let out a sigh of relief. "Good. You're very strong, you know." He rubbed his arm and made a pained expression. "I can still feel the bruises," he exaggerated before snickering when she swatted at his chest.

"Oi!" Donna called out. She stood with her hands on her hips and stared at them. "Are you two done foolin' around? We've got a reception to go to. Bad enough I already missed the ceremony."

The Doctor and Rose shared a glance before nodding. When they walked up to her, he nudged Rose's shoulder, "I think you enjoy getting me into trouble." Rose responded with a playful and contagious snicker.


	3. The Runaway Bride Part 2

**A/N: ****This is unrelated to the story but thank God for Tumblr! I found a link to watch the first episode of the new series of Broadchurch, and I was on the edge the entire time. I won't spoil anything here but it's nice to see Hardy again. Any opportunity to hear DT's Scottish accent is just asdfghjkl. *_***

**Okay, that's enough of me fangirling, enjoy! ****Thanks to those who've reviewed, faved and followed! You're all cool :')**

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_**Chapter 3: The Runaway Bride Part 2**_

The Doctor and Rose stood on the side by the bar while couples got up to the dance floor. Donna was smiling the widest and brightest they have ever seen for the first time today. She was genuinely enjoying herself as she and her husband moved to the upbeat rhythm of the song playing while surrounded by all of their loved ones, family and friends alike, though they were skeptical about where that Nerys woman fit in exactly.

When they finally arrived to the reception hall though, it was a totally different scene. Well, not really _that_ much different. In fact it looked exactly the same as it did at the moment, except now Donna was participating in the celebration. The second they entered not one person in the room even acknowledged her presence. They were all partying and laughing as if nothing had even happened, that Donna's disappearance had barely concerned them - including the groom himself. Obviously the bride was furious at everyone for not worrying about her dilemma and had the reception without her.

The excuse they gave - particularly the woman Nerys - was that the whole thing was already paid for so they would be damned to let it go to waste. Then everyone began to point their fingers at Donna, asking questions and demanding answers at the exact same time. It was utter chaos without the physical fighting and explosions. At that point both the Doctor and Rose had no idea what to do as they stood behind the poor woman, who was being put on the spot, in such an awkward circumstance. However Donna put on a brilliant facade and faked her tears, which led to the entire room to change their moods from accusing and disgruntled to sympathetic and cheery.

Now everything seemed to be put back into place - sort of anyways. The mystery of the impossibility that Donna seemed to defy by somehow transporting herself into the TARDIS while they were still in-flight still hung in the air to be solved. While Rose was just as curious about the incident as the Doctor was, she wanted to relax for a minute.

"Very festive, innit?" Rose commented, watching the groups of people crowding the dance floor. "I mean, it's nice that Donna gets to finally have fun but when she first came in here, nobody paid any attention to her, like she didn't exist."

The Doctor nodded, looking around the room. "These are different people, Rose. They have a different way of life, morals and whatnot. Of course they'll act differently than how others normally would act, including us."

Rose snorted. "Yeah, cos our lives are _so_ normal," the Doctor chuckled at her response, "Tell you one thing though, if this was my wedding Mum _never_ would have just stood around and celebrated like it was nothing."

The Doctor snorted as well. "Definitely not your mother, she'd hire an entire cavalry to go out in full force to find you."

They laughed at the thought of Jackie Tyler yelling at military personnel for a moment. Even though she would never see her mum again it was always nice to still joke around and remember all of the good times. The song that had been playing stopped and changed to another upbeat song. She looked up at the Doctor and smiled. "Wanna dance?"

His brows furrowed. "You still feel sick?"

"Doctor, I'm fine. My head feels like it's easing up more and more." She leaned her face on his shoulder. "You're tryna get out of it, aren't you?"

"No it's just that…" He scratched his sideburn. "Rose, we still need to figure out this whole Donna-Pilot fish mystery, remember?"

"Oh c'mon," she urged, nudging his shoulder. "'S just a short little dance." He looked like he was about to protest, so she leaned up to whisper in his ear, "The world doesn't end just because the Doctor dances."

He chuckled at her words. She had told him those exact words during the Blitz. Looking down at her wide smile and equally wide doe eyes was all it took. "Alright, but don't complain when I boast about my moves." He said, lifting his chin up and offering her his hand.

She took it and smiled. "I'll only complain if you either drop me or move like you have two left feet like some blokes do."

The Doctor opened his mouth with mock offense. "Rose Tyler, what do you take me for? You know very well that I'm definitely _not_ your average bloke."

"Never doubted it," she said, smiling wide which mirrored on his own face as he led her to an open space on the edge on the crowded dance floor. They both got into the groove of the dance almost instantly, spinning around and stepping in rhythm with each other and not missing a beat. Though his previous incarnation had some nice moves, the Doctor couldn't deny that this body was perfectly designed for dancing. Like Rose had said she had no doubts about his suave attitude and movements, and he couldn't let her down. Right when the song was nearing its end the Doctor dipped her over one last time and bent down to give her a breathtaking kiss.

The song had ended, so they straightened up and headed back over to the bar. The Doctor scanned the crowd before leaning towards Rose. "D'you have your mobile?"

Rose nodded. "'S in my back pocket, why?"

"I need to do some researching on this HC Clements, see what it's all about." She nodded, handing him her phone as he perched his glasses on his nose and took the sonic out from his jacket. Rose moved to stand on his side to block other people's view of what he was doing. As she kept watch she heard a faint growl come from his chest. "Of course, it had to be," he gritted.

"What is it?" She turned her head to see what he was talking about. The Doctor had typed in 'HC Clements' and her breath hitched at what came up on the screen:

_**Sole Prop.**_

_**TORCHWOOD**_

"But they were _destroyed,"_ Rose said quietly, the anger in her voice visible. "How's that possible?"

The Doctor grimaced at the screen. "Must be what's left of it, like a small secret faction." He glanced up from the rim of his glasses to peek at Rose. No doubt that she was enraged and a bit more upset at the information more than himself, but that was understandable. Neither of them wanted to be reminded of the chaotic events that took place that day, from them almost losing each other by being separated between two worlds with no way of reaching each other to Rose actually losing her own mother who was trapped on the other side and whom she would never see again.

The Doctor pained at the thought of the anguish and guilt of the incident and could only imagine what would have happened if it was Rose on that side. Had she not made her decision to come back to him in their world and ended up trapped on the other side far from his reach…no, he didn't want to go into such dark thoughts of the 'what ifs.' Both of them narrowly escaped that close call and that was all that mattered. The reality was that she was here with him after all that madness, and he could not be more grateful.

Clearing the information from the screen he handed her phone back inconspicuously, keeping an eye on their surroundings. Rose poked his arm and nodded to the other side of the room. "Doctor, there's the cameraman," she said quietly. "He might have something."

The Doctor smirked. "Good thinking, Lewis." They swerved around the crowd until they reached the cameraman. "Excuse me, were you at the ceremony as well?" he asked.

"Yeah, I taped the whole thing," the man replied, bringing up the film for them to see. "They've all had a look. They said 'sell it to _You've Been Framed_' and I said 'more like the News'. Here we are..."

They both watched intently as the tape began to play. Donna was walking down the aisle, a big smile on her face turning into a scream as it zoomed in on her when a golden light glowed around her before disappearing into thin air.

"Can't be!" the Doctor said, his brows furrowed. "Play it again?" He brought his hand to the camera to take a closer look as the tape replayed.

"Clever, mind!" the cameraman said. "Good trick, I'll give her that. I was clapping."

Rose peered over the Doctor's shoulder as she re-watched the film. "Doctor, that looks familiar," she said. "That light…I've seen that before."

The Doctor registered her words and kept his eyes fixed on the film as it kept replaying. "Huon energy," he breathed out.

"What's that?" the cameraman asked them, confused

"That's impossible," the Doctor said, pocketing his glasses. "That's…ancient! Huon energy doesn't exist anymore, apart from the TARDIS and…" He trailed off glancing at Rose. She was referring to Bad Wolf, but he had expelled all of it from her before it could burn her mind. She couldn't have any more in her system to worry about, he was sure - but of course a small part of him believed a small trace could still be inside her. He focused back on what he was saying. "Hasn't existed for billions of years! So old that…" he trailed off again as his eyes drifted over to Donna over on the other side. Oh no. His face turned to one of horror. "…it can't be hidden by a bio-damper!"

He took off across the room with Rose on his heels as they approached the endangered woman. "Donna! Donna, they've found you," the Doctor said.

"You said I was safe!" she cried.

"The bio-damper doesn't work," Rose called.

The Doctor grabbed Rose's hand as they approached Donna. "They're here, and we need to not be." he added.

She looked confused. "But this is my family!"

"C'mon, out the back door!" he yelled, tugging with him as Donna followed them down a corridor. They made it to the door but when the Doctor opened it, they were greeted with a couple of the Robot Santas. "Maybe not," he said with a grunt, slamming the door shut and running back into the hall. Making it near the windows they noticed more of the Santas approaching the building from outside.

"We're trapped," Donna said hopelessly.

They saw one of the Santa robots lift up their hands with a remote control in their grasp, and it was instantly recognizable. "The Christmas trees," Rose said, gripping the Doctor's arm.

"What about them?" Donna asked, confused.

"They kill," the Doctor answered as he let go of Rose and ran into the crowd. He pointed at the girls, "Gather the people, get them away from the trees," he directed as the three of them yelled and tried to urge everyone to step away from Christmas trees. Of course they weren't taking it.

"Oh, for God's sakes, the man's an idiot!" Donna's mother shouted over them and began to question. "Why? What harm's a Christmas tree gonna…" she trailed off, her irritation turning into wonder. "Oh! Look."

The small baubles floated off of the tree and hovered in the air, dancing around the guests' heads. While everyone smiled up at marveled at the decorations as they whizzed above them, the Doctor and Rose looked at them suspiciously. "This isn't right," she muttered. Not long after the ornaments began to explode in many parts of the room, now making everyone fearful and scream.

One of them quickly came near Rose from behind, but the Doctor was faster. "Rose, watch out!" he shouted, pushing through the herd of people to bring her to the floor. The bauble exploded just above them and the Doctor shielded her body with his own to protect her from the blast. He lifted himself off of her to see if she had gotten injured, and luckily she was fine. He noticed a stand-up table on the side of the room by the DJ booth. Lifting himself to his feet and helping Rose up with him, the Doctor made sure she was safely underneath the table and out of harm's way. Moving close to her ear so that she could hear him, he quietly said, "Stay down and cover your ears. I've got a plan."

"What're you gonna do?" Rose asked, just barely hearing herself over the screaming and explosions.

He gave her a lopsided grin and held up the sonic. "Improvise." As he stood up he quickly made his way to the booth with the sonic in his hand. "Oi! Santa!" he called out. "Word of advice: if you're attacking a man with a sonic screwdriver-" He picked up a microphone and spun it the air before catching it and speaking into it, "-don't let him near the sound system."

He stuck the sonic into a port in the amplifier, which created a loud high pitched screeching sound that vibrated throughout the room from every speaker. The Santas began to shake violently before deactivating and falling to pieces on the floor. He removed the sonic and ran over to Rose who was safe under the table, her hands still placed over her ears and eyes clamped shut.

"You okay?" he asked, placing his hands under her arms to help her stand.

She removed her hands and opened her eyes, fighting the dizziness and spots in her vision. "Yeah, brilliant plan. My ears are still ringing."

"Sorry about that. It worked though, didn't it?" He said, arching a brow.

"I'm glad that it did, just…please try not to make that sound again."

He smirked at her. "Deal." He then dashed over to the group of the dismembered robot Santas, kneeling down to examine the parts. Rose joined him eyeing the mechanics. "Look at that," he said softly, holding the remote in one hand and one of the robot's heads in the other. "Remote control for the decorations, but there's a second remote control for the robots. They're not scavengers anymore. I think someone's taken possession."

Rose looked at head that the Doctor was examining, lights on the bottom of it blinking rapidly. "Who is it, and why are they after Donna?"

"Never mind all that," Donna said as she came up to them. "You're a doctor, people have been hurt."

The Doctor picked up one of the baubles and circled it in his fingers. "Nah, they wanted you alive. Look," he tossed the item over his shoulder at her. "They're not active now."

Donna caught the decoration but paid no mind to it. "All I'm saying is that…you could help."

"Gotta think of the bigger picture," the Doctor muttered, holding the head up to his ear. His eyes widened and a grin spread on his face. "There's still a signal!"

"Well come on, let's follow it!" Rose exclaimed with a matching grin as she took his hand and ran for the door.

"Right on it, Lewis!" The Doctor cheered as they stepped outside. Once they made it outside he began to scan the robot head for the signal's wavelength. "There's someone behind this, directing the robo-force."

Donna caught up to them, Lance not that far behind. "But why is it me? What have I done?"

"If we find the controller, we'll find that out," the Doctor replied. The sonic began to make a bleeping sound. "Oh!" Raising it up in the air he and Rose craned their necks up at the sky. "It's up there. Something in the sky."

"Could it be the Sycorax again?" Rose suggested, squinting her eyes in the sunlight. Though last year the Sycorax spaceship was destroyed by a laser shot off by Torchwood as they were leaving Earth, it could still be possible for them to return, wouldn't it? Torchwood itself was destroyed yet it still existed, so anything could come back.

The Doctor shook his head, eyes still at the sky. "Not them, this signal's different. Someone's hiding." The sonic stopped bleeping and he lowered his arm to check it. "I've lost the signal." He turned to face Donna, still looked confused by everything. "Donna, we've got to get to your office. HC Clements - I think that's where it all started." He turned to the black man standing behind her. "Lance -" He looked back at Donna with furrowed brows and gestured at the man, "- is it Lance?" He turned back to him, "Can you give us a lift?"

Not even waiting for Lance to give an answer the Doctor dove into the backseat of the car parked on the curb. Rose shrugged and hopped in after him as Donna went up in the passenger's seat and Lance drove off. An uneasy feeling came to her as she eyed the groom. Something about him didn't measure right with her insides. At first she thought it was her sickness coming back, since it seemed to keep leaving and returning on and off quite frequently. But just being in the man's presence churned her stomach. He seemed hesitant, which would be reasonable considering this was his wedding day too, but…there was something strange about him. The Doctor must have noticed her discomfort and gave her a look but she just waved him off. He nodded and started to mention his key theory.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The ride didn't take too long, and before they knew it they arrived to their destination. Once they pulled up to the company the Doctor dashed out before the car could park, Rose following him with Donna and Lance right behind them. They made it to the offices and the Doctor immediately ran over to the computers. "To you lot this might just be a locksmiths, but HC Clements was brought up twenty-three years ago by the Torchwood Institute," the Doctor explained as he searched.

"Who are they?" Donna asked.

Rose decided to answer her. "They were the reason for the battle of Canary Wharf." Donna just looked more confused. _How did she not notice?_ She explained further, "Cyberman invasion? Tall, metal men? The skies over London cracking…full of Daleks? All that destruction…?"

Donna waved it off. "Oh, I was in Spain."

The Doctor looked up from the computer. "They had Cybermen in Spain."

"Scuba diving?"

He blinked once at her. "That big picture, Donna. You keep on missing it." He dashed over to another computer and started searching again. "Torchwood was destroyed, but HC Clements stayed in business. I think someone else came in and took over the operation."

"But what do they want with me?" Donna asked.

Turning away from the computer to face her, Rose took his spot to look at the information while the Doctor explained. "Somehow you've been dosed with Huon energy, and that's a problem because Huon energy hasn't existed since the Dark times. The only place you'd find a Huon particle now is a remnant in the heart of the TARDIS. See? That's what happened."

Everything he was saying was only confusing her more, so he tried to explain it to her in simpler terms. "Say…" He picked up a mug from the desk. "That's the TARDIS," he indicated the mug as he held it out to her, then picked up a pencil, "And that's you. The particles inside you activated." He shook the pencil for emphasis and then shook the mug with it. "The two sets of particles magnetized and _WHAP!"_ He threw the pencil into the mug. "You were pulled inside the TARDIS."

"Well done, teacher," Rose lightly commented while studying the computer. The Doctor looked over and winked at her before turning back to Donna.

"I'm a pencil inside a mug?" Donna replied flatly, seeming to understand.

"Yes, you are. 4H." He said, spinning the pencil around in the mug, "Sums you up," he set the mug back down on the desk. "Lance? What was HC Clements working on? Anything top secret? Special operations? 'Do not enter?'"

Lance hesitated for a second. "I don't know, I'm in charge of personnel. I wasn't project manager," he sounded defensive and irritated before adding, "Why am I even explaining myself? What the hell are we talking about?"

"They make keys, that's the point," the Doctor replied.

Donna shook her head. "You keep saying that, what does that mean? What do keys have to do with anything?"

"Keys can be used for many different purposes, unlocking all kinds of things," he said slowly. "Not just the standard conventional kinds, but something more-

Rose tapped his arm to get his attention. "Doctor, you'll wanna see this."

Moving to stand next to her he bent down to peer at the computer screen intently. The Doctor watched as she brought up a 3D schematic of the building. His brows raised slightly at what it showed - something was missing, hidden somewhere. "Oh, now that is interesting," he said slowly. "Brilliant, Rose!" He leaned over pressed a kiss to her temple before sprinting over to the lift, pressing the call button.

"What? What is it?" Donna asked as they all followed him.

"We're on the third floor," he began. "Underneath reception, there's a basement, yes?" The lift arrived and he stepped inside and finished what he was saying, "Then how come when you look on the lift, there's a button marked 'lower basement'?" He pointed over to the panel of button, indicating said button. "There's a whole floor which doesn't exist on the official plans. So what's down there, then?"

Lance crossed his eyes at him. "Are you telling me this building's got a secret floor?" he asked incredulously.

"No, he's _showing_ you this building's got a secret floor," Rose corrected him. She glanced at the Doctor, who gave her a proud smile and another wink.

"But it needs a key," Donna told him.

The Doctor shook his head. "I don't." He took out his sonic and aimed it at the lock, which clicked. "Right then, c'mon Rose, got some solving to do." Rose didn't waste any time as she came in and took one of his hands in her own. He looked over at the couple. "Thanks you two, we can handle this. See you later."

"No chance, Martian," Donna said, stepping in with them. "You're the man who keeps saving my life, I ain't letting you out of my sight."

Rose glanced at the Doctor and smiled. "Going down."

"Lance?" Donna said pointedly.

The man hesitated again. Every action he did made Rose twitch inside - she didn't trust this man. "Maybe I should go to the police."

"Inside," Donna ordered, which he obeyed in defeat.

"To honor and obey?" the Doctor asked him.

"Tell me about it, mate," Lance sighed.

"Oi." Donna said, as Rose bit back a laugh.

As the lift descended Rose felt another twitch along with a wave of dizziness. She shook her head to rid the spots from her eyes, which caught the Doctor's attention - again. He arched his brows at her. She took a glance at Lance, who stood in front of the Doctor, and shook her head. Nodding her head at the man, she tried to mouth her words. _I don't trust him._

The Doctor seemed to understand her and mouthed words of his own, shaking his head as well. _Me either._ He squeezed her hand and nodded once, reassuring her to be cautious of the man. The Doctor most likely felt the same suspicious vibe that Lance gave off just like her, and she was relieved she wasn't the only one. Everything would be found out shortly.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

When they reached the lower basement, they stepped out of the lift. "Where are we? What goes on down here?" Donna asked.

The Doctor looked around the corridor. "Let's find out."

"Do you think Mr. Clements knows about this place?"

"The mysterious HC Clements? I think he's part of it," the Doctor told her. "Oh, look." Suddenly something caught his eye and he grinned. "Transport." He ran over to a wall where three segways were parked. "Brilliant! Each of you grab one," he turned to Rose. "Looks like you're gonna have to ride with me," he grinned.

Rose eyed the vehicles. "Doctor, there's not that much room."

The Doctor grabbed a segway and smiled. "Nah, we'll be alright." He slapped his stomach and grinned. "I'm skinny enough, so there'll be the right amount of room for the both of us."

"You calling me fat?" Rose crossed her arms over her chest and arched an eyebrow.

His smile fell and his eyes widened. "What? No! No, no, no, I didn't…you're not…you're in great shape. Very, very fit - not fat at all. _Curvy_ yes, fat no." His face reddened and he tugged on his earlobe and froze up. "Ah! I mean, ehm…err, round. Yes! That's good, yes? Round in the right…places. Oh, um…"

Rose gaped at him then burst into a laughing fit as the Doctor sputtered in embarrassment.

"Oi, you two!" Donna called back at them, already on her segway as well as Lance. "Stop flirtin' around, let's go!"

Rose stepped onto the vehicle first followed by the Doctor standing right behind her, the double rhythm of his hearts pressed against her back. His arms circled around hers as they both gripped onto the handles, Rose resting her hands on top of his. She inclined her head back and said teasingly, "Are my _curves_ in the way, Doctor?"

He cleared his throat, but his voice was still squeaky. "No, no, you're good." He turned on the machine. "Right, here we go, allons-y!"

They each took off at a whopping speed of probably ten miles an hour, and it didn't take long before Donna started laughing at themselves. Soon after the Doctor and Rose caught on with her and laughed hard until they almost couldn't breathe. She leaned back against the Doctor and let out a content sigh. He lowered his head and nuzzled her hair as they continued their laughing fit. She hasn't been this carefree since after leaving Noel. It felt…right. They all were enjoying themselves at the silliness - everyone except for Lance, who just stared at the three of them like they were insane.

Donna couldn't help but smile at the couple next to her. It was obvious that they were both in love just by the random tender gestures they gave, not to mention the way they looked at each other. If she wasn't convinced before that sealed it. Alien or not this Doctor bloke showed compassion and care for this young blonde, who shared the same amount of love and respect for him as he did to her. Lance had never initiated such caring behavior, if she was being honest. She just hoped that their relationship could become a fraction of the other's.

As they continued down the corridor they came to a door labeled **"Authorized Personnel Only"** with a Torchwood symbol on it and a large wheel for entering. The Doctor jumped off from he and Rose's segway and the others followed suit. Spinning the wheel the door opened slowly. He stepped in and noticed a small opening at the top containing a ladder. "Wait here," he said. "Just need to get my bearings. Rose," he pointed at the couple, "Make sure they don't do…anything. Or wander off." With that he started up the ladder.

"You'd better come back," Donna told him.

The Doctor stopped climbing and dipped his head down to face them. "I couldn't get rid of you if I tried. And Rose - how could I leave her behind? I made a promise," he grinned and threw them a wink before advancing up the ladder.

Rose leaned in the room to gaze up at him, Donna standing beside her. "Did he pull some sort of Martian charm on you to keep you around?"

She let out a laugh. "No, I chose to stay with him cos I wanted to."

"Well it's convincing," Donna said, chuckling. "I see the way you two look at each other, all googly-eyed. And the way you interact - even a blind person could see that."

Rose blushed at Donna's words. Before she could respond Lance began to speak up. Donna turned to him and pulled them on the side as they argued. She ignored their words as her head felt like it was floating again. Placing her fingers on her temples she massaged them to ease the lightheadedness just as the Doctor hopped down in front of her, startling her for a moment before straightening up.

"Thames flood barrier! Right on top of us," he exclaimed. "Torchwood snuck in and built this place underneath."

"Seriously?" Rose said. That sounded so very _Torchwood_ - sneaking around behind people's backs and sticking their noses in places they don't belong. Bloody gits.

Donna and Lance had finished bickering the second the Doctor's voice boomed throughout the corridor. "What, there's like a secret base hidden underneath a major London landmark?" she asked.

"I know! It's unheard of." He took a hold of Rose's hand and led them through the corridors. They came across a door to a large laboratory. All sorts of chemistry equipment, huge test tubes, breakers and other scientific tools lined the area. When they entered they heard a chorus of various bubbling liquids. Of course the Doctor marveled at the sights. "Oh, look at this!" He pulled Rose over to table to observe small tubes, a grin so wide it could silly his face in two. "Stunning!"

"What does it do?" Donna asked, looking at the tubes.

"Particle extrusion," he answered. "Hold on..." He darted over to one of the enormous bubbling tubes and tapped it with the indent of his finger. "Oh, brilliant. They've been manufacturing Huon particles. In case my people got rid of Huons, they unravelled the atomic structure."

"Your people?" Lance asked, crossing his eyes. "Who are they? What company do you represent?"

The Doctor tilted his head. "Oh, we're sort of...freelancers."

Rose stood next to him. "But if your people got rid of the Huon particles, how can they manufacture them?"

"They've been using the river, extruding them through a flat hydrogen base so they've got the end result-" He held up a test tube full of some kind of liquid, showing it to her. "-Huon particles in liquid form."

Donna came closer to him to look at the tube. "And that's what's inside me?" The Doctor glanced down at the knob on the top and slowly twisted it. The liquid contents began to glow gold, and Donna followed suit. "Oh, my God!"

The moment he activated the tube and it turned gold, Rose felt her stomach churn. She felt a sudden warmth spread across her body, and someone gasped behind her. "Rose? Oh, my God, you have it too?"

The Doctor glanced at Rose and saw that her eyes were giving off a slight golden hue. He had a feeling deep down that, although he had absorbed all of the energy from her when she became the Bad Wolf, she may still have a slight amount lingering inside of her - residual energy. Part of the TARDIS was still within her.

Turning the knob again, the golden glow faded away from both women. Rose stumbled a bit, but the Doctor wrapped his arms around her middle and held her upright. "Doctor," she said weakly, her eyes fluttering a little.

He brushed a strand of hair from her face and studied her. "It's all right, you're okay," he soothed in her ear while rubbing her back as she held onto him.

Donna just stared at the two, mouth agape. This Doctor had said Rose was a human, but that didn't appear so. What the hell kind of aliens were they?

Rose got her strength back almost immediately and straightened herself up, releasing herself from the Doctor's protective arms. Well then, that probably explains her lightheadedness. "Am I really okay, Doctor?" she whispered.

He nodded and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. "Yes, it didn't seem that harmful, so don't be too concerned about that right now. We'll check you up in the medbay when this is all over just to be sure, okay?" When she nodded and offered him a soft smile, he gave her one in return. "That's my girl," he gave her another kiss on her forehead before turning back to Donna, who was gawking at them. "Donna?"

"You two, you're just so…impossible!"

The Doctor clicked his tongue and winked at her while Rose giggled, looking up at him. "That just about sums us up, don't you reckon?"

"Yep, that's us!" He exclaimed. Letting go of Rose and walking towards Donna. "Back to these particles - this is…genius. Because the particles are inert - they need something living to catalyze inside and that's you. Saturate the body and then…" Suddenly he bounced back and yelled with manic enthusiasm at his realization. "HA! The wedding! Yes, you're getting married, that's it! Best day of your life, walking down the aisle - oh, your body's a battleground! There's a chemical war inside! Adrenaline, acetylcholine," He gestured wildly at Donna, causing her jump at his unattainable energy. _"WHAM!_ Go the endorphins! Oh, you're cooking! Yeah, you're like a walking oven! A pressure cooker, a microwave, all churning away, the particles reach boiling point," he shot his hand in the air, _"SHAZAM!"_

_Whack_. Once again he was cut off by the hard right hand of Donna slapping his cheek, making him stumble back. Unlike earlier when she held back her laughter, this time Rose winced at the sound of the loud crack across the Doctor's face. Poor Doctor, even though it's not his fault. Well, sort of.

"What did I do this time?" he cried indignantly.

"Are you _enjoying_ this?" Donna asked. The Doctor's confused expression turned to a frown, dropping his gaze to the ground. She remembered what Rose had told her earlier about how concentrated he gets with these…things. Letting out a sigh, she approached him. "Right, just tell me - these particles, are they dangerous? Am I safe?"

"Yes," the Doctor said without hesitation.

Donna wasn't convinced. "Doctor, if your lot got rid of Huon particles..." she shook her head, "Why did they do that?"

The Doctor swallowed and spoke low. "Because they're deadly."

She knew it. "Oh, my God…"

Rose went to Donna and wrapped an arm around her shoulder, the hand from the opposite one holding her hand gently. "Donna, we'll sort this out, okay? It's what we do best, and the Doctor is very good at it, I assure you. He knows what he's doing."

"But…what about you, though?" Donna shook her head, the fear in her voice was visible. "That stuff's inside you, too, I saw it. He hasn't fixed you, and you two are…together. How can I be sure he can help me?"

The Doctor moved in closer to the frightened woman. "Rose's situation applies to something else entirely, something very different and unique compared to this one," he explained. "But I promise you, whatever's been done, I'll reverse it. We've lost enough people lately, and I'm not about to lose someone else."

"Oh, she is long since lost!" A bellowing, raspy voice suddenly filled the laboratory. One of the walls slid up to reveal an enormous deep hole in the floor. "I have waited so long, hibernating at the edge of the universe, until the secret heart was uncovered and called out to waken!" Several of the robot Santas in black cloaks appeared on the railing, training their guns at them. Rose noticed in the corner of her eye, unsurprisingly, Lance taking off into a side door and leaving them behind.

The Doctor examined the hole, a frown creasing his face. "Someone's been digging - oh, that's _very_ Torchwood," he said disdainfully, "Drilled by laser. How far down does it go?"

"Down and down, all the way to the center of the Earth!" the voice rasped.

"What, seriously?" Rose asked, looking down at the hole. "Why?"

"Dinosaurs," Donna cut in.

Both the Doctor and Rose turned to her and stared, looking confused. "What?" she asked.

"…Dinosaurs?" she repeated, this time sounding uncertain.

"What are you on about, dinosaurs?" The Doctor asked, still not understanding what she was getting at.

"That film, Under the Earth, with dinosaurs," Donna said. They just stared at her and blinked. "Trying to help!"

"That's not helping," the Doctor said.

"But it was a good thought," Rose added, with a faint smile.

"Such an amusing group," the voice hissed.

The Doctor looked around the room to address the voice. "Only a madman talks to thin air, and trust me, you don't want to make me mad. Where are you?"

"High in the sky," the voice answered. "Floating so high on Christmas Night."

"I didn't come all this way to talk on the intercom!" the Doctor shouted, causing Donna to jump slightly at his sudden tone. "Come on, let's have a look at you!" he prompted the speaker.

"Who are you with such command?" the voice demanded.

"I'm the Doctor," he replied.

"Prepare your best medicines, doctor-man, for you will be sick at heart."

Suddenly a giant blood red spider-like creature with a somewhat humanoid front and multiple large, thick legs transported itself into the chamber. Both Rose and Donna winced at the unexpected appearance of this thing, but the Doctor stood between them with a hand placed firmly but gently on each of their arms. The creature hissed and bared its sharp fangs as it stood on a platform, looking down at them.

"The Racnoss," the Doctor said slowly, taking in the creature's appearance. "But that's impossible, you're one of the Racnoss!" He moved the hand on Rose's arm to wrap around the small of her back to bring her closer to him.

The creature hissed at him. "_Empress_ of the Racnoss."

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**I know, I know, what an odd place to stop. This chapter was so long it was starting to lag =/ ****I actually cut out a *humorous* conversation between the Doctor and Rose in the beginning cos this was so long 0_0 Luckily ****I'm working on these pretty quickly, so no worries. ;) **


	4. The Runaway Bride Part 3

**A/N: This episode was fun to write hehe As always thanks to the lovely people who've faved, followed and reviewed! It's nice to hear from you :) **

**In other news, DT won the People's Choice Award for Gracepoint, and I couldn't be happier for him! It's nice to know how dedicated us fellow American fans are to him and his work. Not only that, it's amusing sticking it to FOX for canceling the show - HA! XD**

**Also for the SPN fans - Misha won too! I'm laying in a bed of happiness ^_^**

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_**Chapter 4: The Runaway Bride Part 3**_

Stepping forward, the Doctor studied the creature. By rights it was impossible for her to even exist, yet here she was. But how? "If you're the Empress, where's the rest of the Racnoss? Or…are you the only one?"

"Such a sharp mind," the Empress commented.

"That's it, the last of your kind." He walked back over to Rose and Donna and explained their species in a low voice. "The Racnoss come from the Dark Times. Billions of years ago, _billions_. They were carnivores, omnivores, they devoured whole planets."

"Racnoss are born starving," the Empress said, overhearing his words. "Is that our fault?"

Donna made a disgusted expression. "They eat people?"

The Doctor looked up at the large web thing spread across the ceiling. "Donna...your boss, HC Clements, did he wear black and white shoes?"

"He did!" she said as Rose followed his gaze and placed a hand over her mouth. "We used to laugh, we used to call him 'the fat cat in spats.'"

The Doctor nodded and pointed up to the web where a pair of legs dangled wearing those exact same shoes.

"Oh, my God!" she gasped.

"Mmm, my Christmas dinner," the Empress stressed as she cackled. A cold shiver coursed through Rose's body at the maniacal sound. The Doctor squeezed her hand, chasing away that chill before calling back at the Racnoss.

"You shouldn't even exist!" the Doctor shouted. "Way back in history, the Fledgling Empires went to war against the Racnoss. They were wiped out."

"Except for me."

"But that's what I've got inside me," Donna spoke up all of a sudden.

Rose glanced behind the Empress and noticed Lance lurking in the shadows stealthily towards the creature with an axe in his hands, but she had another strange feeling inside. The Doctor stood beside her and touched the small of her back. When she looked at him a sad expression crossed his face. He knew exactly what she was thinking. Donna, however, was oblivious.

Instead she just kept talking, possibly adding more to the diversion. "That Huon energy thing. Oi! Look at me, lady, I'm talking. Where do I fit in? How come I get all stacked up with these Huon particles?" The Empress took her gaze away, glancing at anywhere but her - or behind, which was good. "Look at me, you! Look me in the eye and tell me."

"The bride is so feisty!" the Empress said.

"Yes, I am! And I don't know what you are, you big…_thing._ But a spider's just a spider, and an axe is an axe!" She acknowledged Lance's presence and now this thing will get what's coming for her. "Now, do it!"

The Empress hissed at Lance when she turned around. He lifted the axe above his head preparing to strike - but he froze. He glanced over at Donna, who waited for him to take his shot, and started laughing.

"That was a good one," he said to the Empress, who started laughing along with him. "Your face!"

"Lance is funny," the Empress said.

Donna stood, stunned. "What?"

The Doctor leaned over and quietly apologized to her. "I'm so sorry."

"Sorry for what?" she asked, furrowing her brows at him. She turned back to look at her groom. "Lance, don't be so stupid! Get her!"

Lance shook his head with a mocking smile. "_God_, she's thick. Months I had to put up with her. _Months_. A woman who can't even point to Germany on a map."

"I don't understand," she breathed out with a small voice.

"How did you meet him?" Rose asked as she stepped closer to her.

"In the office," Donna answered.

The Doctor turned to her. "He made you coffee."

"What?"

Lance rolled his eyes and cut in smugly. "Every day, I made you coffee."

"You had to be dosed with liquid particles over six months," the Doctor explained quietly.

"He was…_poisoning_ me?" Donna asked, shocked.

The Doctor's face twisted in disgust and sneered. "It was all there in the job title - The Head of Human Resources."

"This time, it's _personnel_," Lance said, creating another short round of cackling from he and the Empress.

"But…we were getting married," Donna said, still in shock about what she had just learned. The man who was to become her husband turned out to be using her. Rose moved to her side and put an arm around her shoulder and squeezing it.

"Well, I couldn't risk you running off," Lance replied. "I had to say yes, and then I was stuck with a woman who thinks the height of excitement is a new flavor Pringle. Oh, I had to sit there and listen to all that _yap yap yap-" _He rose his voice into a high pitched mimicking, "'Oh! Brad and Angelina! Is Posh pregnant? X Factor, Atkins Diet, Feng Shui, split ends, text me, text me, text me.'" He returned to his normal voice. "Dear God, the never-ending fountain of fat, stupid trivia. I deserve a medal!"

Rose released herself from Donna and stepped forward angrily, glaring at the man. "The only thing you deserve is a nice hard slap to wipe that smug look of your face!"

"Rose, careful!" The Doctor whispered hardly, coming from behind her to pull her away from the enormous hole leading to the center of the Earth and close to his side. Being the daughter of Jackie Tyler would confirm that she wouldn't hold back from actually hitting the man, but this man wasn't worth that, worth her safety. He turned back to Lance, the look of disgust returning on his face. "Oh, is that what she's offered you, the Empress of the Racnoss? What are you? Her consort?"

"It's better than a night with her," Lance retorted nastily.

"But…I love you," Donna said, her voice sounding heart broken.

Lance have her a smug smile and false pity. "That's what made it easy," he turned back to the Doctor, "It's like you said, Doctor - 'the big picture.' What's the point of it all if the human race is nothing? That's what the Empress can give me. The chance to go out there, to see it. The size of it all. I think you understand that, don't you, Doctor?"

"Who are these people?" the Empress cut in. "The little physician and the tiny blonde?"

"What she said," Lance told her, pointing at Donna. "Martians."

The Doctor tilted his head and released Rose from his side. "Oh, we're sort of…homeless." He stepped toward the hole to take a peek at what could be at the bottom. "But the point is, what's down here? The Racnoss are extinct. What's gonna help you four thousand miles down? That's just the molten core of the Earth, isn't it?"

Lance turned to the Racnoss, speaking in a mocking tone. "I think he wants us to talk."

"I think so too," the Empress agreed.

"Tough! All we need is Donna!" Lance spat at him.

"Kill this chattering little doctor-man and his precious little assistant!" the Empress ordered.

"Don't you hurt them!" Donna yelled, moving to stand in front of them.

The Doctor wrapped a protective arm around Rose and pulled her to stand behind him then gently pushed Donna aside. "No, no, it's all right."

"No, I won't let them!" she cried.

"At arms!" the Empress ordered, the robot Santas raising their guns.

The Doctor raised his hands to protest. "Ah, now. Except-"

"Take aim!" the Empress interrupted as she ordered again, the robots obeying her commands.

"Well, I just want to point out the obvious-" he tried to speak again, but got cut off once more by the Empress.

"They won't hit the bride, they're such very good shots." she bragged.

"Just-just-just-hold on," the Doctor stuttered, "Just a tick, just a tiny-just a little…tick." He reached into his jacket pocket and palmed the test tube with the liquid. "If you think about it, the particles activated in Donna and drew her inside my spaceship. So, reverse it…the spaceship comes to her."

Moving to stand in front of Rose to shield her from the Empress's view, the Doctor twisted the knob on the top again. Immediately the particles inside, as well as Donna and Rose, glow gold.

"Fire!" the Empress screamed, but the sounds of gunfire were drowned out from the wheezing arrival of the TARDIS as it materialized around them.

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When they found themselves back in the console room of the TARDIS, they could still faintly hear the Empress's screams. "Off we go!" the Doctor exclaimed as he ran to the console, still talking. "Oh, you know what I said before about time machines? Well, I lied. And now we're gonna use it. We need to find out what the Empress of the Racnoss is digging up. If something's buried at the planet core, it must've been there since the beginning." A small grin begin to stretch on his face.

Rose watched as Donna moved slowly around the console to sit on the jump seat, her eyes misty with unshed tears. This poor woman. She followed and sat next to her, wrapping her arms around her shoulders. "Doctor," she said quietly trying to get his attention, but he was caught up in his activities and didn't hear her.

"That's just brilliant. Molto bene! I've always wanted to see this. Donna, Rose - we're going back further than I've ever gone before."

"Doctor," she repeated a little louder.

His grin dropped to a frown when he looked up from the controls and saw Rose sitting beside Donna on the jump seat, holding her in her arms as the poor ginger woman silently wept. He hadn't even registered her quiet sobs as he was punching coordinates into the TARDIS. Watching Rose comfort the woman with soft, soothing gestures made him realize all the more reason why he needed her. Unlike himself she was a human, meaning she understood things differently than him. Granted he may be a genius, but Rose had such heart and sympathy. He cared too, he wasn't like a Cyberman with no emotions, but the moment the TARDIS materialized around them he immediately took off to the console in wonder from all of the brilliance and the impossibilities, and just discarded how the poor woman felt.

Rose didn't though. She didn't forget, she never did. She was always the first person to show compassion. He had told her that she made him better and the list for all of the reasons how she had and why he loved her continued to grow impossibly larger each day. Silently standing by the console, the Doctor sympathetically watched as Donna grieved and Rose comforted her, which was what she did best. He may be the Doctor, the one who makes people better, but this pink and yellow human was the one who made _him_ better, something he never could do for himself.

After a moment Donna calmed down a bit, her tears dried and sobs silenced. "We've arrived," he said quietly, "Want to see?"

Donna shrugged her shoulders. "I suppose," she said sadly, uninterested.

"Oh, that scanner's a bit small, maybe your way's best."

Rose pulled her to her feet. "Come on."

The Doctor was already at the doors. "No human's ever seen this. You two'll be the first."

"All I want to see is my bed," Donna said grumpily as Rose led her down the ramp to join him.

"Donna Noble, Rose Tyler -" The Doctor threw the doors open and stepped aside for them to see what lay in front of them. "Welcome to the creation of the Earth." He came to stand behind Rose and wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her close as they each marveled at the sight before them. "We've gone back 4.6 billion years," he softly explained, resting his chin lightly on top of Rose's head as she leaned into his embrace. "There's no solar system, not yet. Only dust and rocks and gas." He pointed at a small streak of light in the distance, surrounded by dark clouds of dust and gas. "That's the Sun over there, brand new. Just beginning to burn."

The view was just…amazing. "Where's the Earth?" Donna asked, softly.

"All around us," the Doctor answered. "In the dust."

"Puts the wedding in perspective. Lance was right. We're just…tiny." Donna said sadly. She hated to agree with the manipulator that was about to be her husband, but how could she not? She was small, insignificant, just absolutely…worthless.

"No, but that's what you do," the Doctor lightly said with encouragement. "The human race. Making sense out of chaos. Marking it out with weddings and Christmas and calendars. This whole process is beautiful, but only if it's being observed."

"So, I came out of all this?"

The Doctor smiled at the sight and hummed. "Isn't it brilliant?"

Rose couldn't speak, the view was utterly breathtaking. Just seeing exactly what her world became out of from a bunch of rocks and dust was incredible. "'S beautiful," she breathed out. Covering the Doctor's hands that were placed firmly on her waist with her own she threaded their fingers together, and leaned back in his arms. She inclined her neck to look up at him and smiled.

Beautiful things came out from this amazing event, holding in all of its splendor just waiting to become so much more. All of the achievement these drifting rocks and gases gained was truly remarkable to say the least, and one of the greatest things that came out of all of this was now cradled in his arms. The Doctor gazed down and smiled warmly at the one person who proved so much, who made him believe. A small glimmer shined in Rose's eyes from the dull yet strong light that would soon become the Sun. Dipping his head down he captured her lips for a soft kiss.

Although she was painstakingly heartbroken from being rejected and mislead by someone she loved (so she had thought), Donna couldn't help but smile at the loving couple beside her. It was ironically heartwarming and uplifting for her to witness the moment. Of course this was such a private, personal gesture that she almost felt criminal to intrude on. After another moment, she turned to look outside again just as a large oddly shaped rock drifted by. "I think that's the Isle of Wight," she joked.

Rose let out a quiet chuckle once the Doctor pulled away. Usually he wouldn't initiate things like kissing when around other people, but he had done it once already today when they danced in the reception hall and there was a crowd, though no one was probably watching them anyway. This was still pretty private, even with Donna standing beside them.

He cleared his throat before returning his gaze to the outside, resting his chin back on Rose's head. "Eventually, gravity takes hold. Say, one big rock, heavier than the others, starts to pull other rocks towards it. All the dust and gas and elements get pulled in, everything, piling in until you get…"

"The Earth," Donna finished with a small smile.

The Doctor nodded once and scanned the scenery. "But the question is…what was that first rock?"

"Look." Donna pointed to a star-shaped ship that suddenly emerged from behind the floating clouds.

His jaw tightened. "The Racnoss. Hold on, the Racnoss are hiding from the war! What's it doing?"

"Exactly what you said," Donna said, as the star used a force and began to pull in the rocks and gases at a fast rate.

"They didn't just bury something at the center of the Earth," Rose said quietly..

"They _became_ the center of the Earth. The first rock," the Doctor finished firmly.

A sudden violent jerk from the TARDIS tipped their balance off slightly as it began to shake and nearly knocked them to the ground.

"Doctor, what was that?" Rose asked.

"Trouble," the Doctor said as he reached out to shut the doors then running back over to the console.

"What the hell's it doing?" Donna shouted as they trudged up the ramp.

The Doctor began pressing controls angrily in blinding speed. "Remember that little trick I pulled, particles pulling particles? It works in reverse - they're pulling us back!"

"Can't you stop it?" Donna shouted again. "Hasn't it got a handbrake? Can't you reverse or warp or beam or something?"

"Backseat driver," the Doctor muttered as he worked the controls. "Oh, wait a minute-" he ducked under the console and exclaimed as he pulled out something useful for the situation. "The extrapolator! Can't stop us, but it should give us a good bump!" He noticed Rose in the corner of his eye holding her stomach again with her eyes clamped shut. Reaching a hand out to grasp her unoccupied one, he gave a gentle squeeze. "Rose, you okay?"

She nodded. "'M fine, just do what you have to."

He stared at her for a moment before focusing on the job at hand. Once the TARDIS fully materialized he whacked the extrapolator with his mallet. A bright light shined as the TARDIS shook again with a heavier jerk until coming to a complete stop. Running towards the door and opening it, he surveyed the corridor they were in. "We're about 200 yards to the right, come on!" Rose's hand slipped in his as they ran down the dimmed corridor, coming to a stop once they reached the familiar door that led to the Thames flood barrier.

"But what do we do?" Donna asked catching her breath.

The Doctor reached into his jacket and pulled out a stethoscope, using it to listen to the door. "I don't know, I make it up as I go along."

"What?"

Rose held up he hand. "It's alright, he does it brilliantly."

He clicked his tongue and threw her a wink before resuming his action.

Donna shook her head. "But I still don't understand. I'm full of particles, but what for?"

"There's a Racnoss web at the center of the Earth," he replied, moving the end of the instrument around the door. "But my people unraveled their power source. The Huon particles ceased to exist but the Racnoss are stuck."

As they both listened to him explain two figures snuck up from behind and grabbed them, holding their mouths to muffle their pleas for help. Rose kicked furiously trying to free herself from her captor's grasp but wasn't successful as both she and Donna were dragged away.

The Doctor, unbeknownst to the women being kidnapped, kept on explaining as he knelt down with the stethoscope. "They've just been in hibernation for billions of years. Frozen. Dead. Kaput! So you're the new key. Brand new particles, living particles! They need you to open it and you two have never been so quiet," he added, realizing the sudden quiet.

He stood from his kneeling position and turned around to expect Rose and Donna - neither of them were there, they just vanished. Looking up and down the corridor, the Doctor grinded his teeth and clenched his fists at his sides. "You're messing with the wrong one." He could feel the Oncoming Storm itching to come out in full force at the surface. "_Bad_ idea."

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Rose fluttered her eyes for a moment, trying to adjust them to the new introduction of brighter lights. From what she could tell she was still grounded, but everything seemed to be spinning around her. Once her vision cleared her thoughts were confirmed as she found herself back in the chamber dumped on the side of the deep gaping hole leading down to the center of the Earth. _Wonderful._

"I hate you," she heard Donna hiss from above. She was strung up in the web on the ceiling.

"Yeah, I think we've gone a bit beyond that now, sweetheart," Lance replied. Turning her head as much as she could she noticed the deceiver wrapped up beside Donna. _You're so lucky you're tied up cos I'd slap you silly,_ she thought.

"The precious assistant finally awakens from her nap," the Empress rasped. Rose made an attempt to move her body but didn't get anywhere. Her body was weak and her head was clouded. She saw the Empress look up at the web. "And my golden couple, together at last - your awful wedded life. Tell me, do you want to be released?"

"Yes!" they shouted simultaneously.

"You're supposed to say 'I do'," the Empress said.

Lance snorted. "No chance."

"Say it!" she ordered.

Rolling his eyes, he looked at Donna and forced out, "I do."

"I do," Donna echoed with the same amount of displeasure.

"I…_don't_," the Empress said, cackling again before ordering. "Activate the particles. Purge every last one!"

Rose finally moved but it wasn't by her own doing, and it was far from being pleasant. Her body began to convulse in a burning and dizzying agony at the command, the only sounds she could make out were the far away distorted screams from Donna and Lance. Her insides were twisting in several directions, almost like being stabbed with sharp pins. She could barely hear a faint cackling from the Empress and some words which just came out jumbled and hard to decipher over the sound of her own cries echoing in her ears. It felt like it was lasting an eternity but it was probably only for a couple of minutes. As the lasting tremors shook her insides the world around her began to whirl like she was going down into a drain. A blackness crept up on her and she let her eyes slide shut from her lack of strength.

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Of all of the many things that the Doctor could wish could not only be easily forgotten, but literally obliterated from his mind, the one very thing he'd wished would fade out would be the heart wrenching sight of Rose convulsing in pain and the piercing sounds of her screams.

After quickly heading back to the chamber, while trying to break down the exact steps of his plan, he donned a robot Santa disguise complete with the cloak and mask and ran up to a stairway leading to a railing. But the moment he stepped foot into the room his hearts clenched tight in his chest. Rose's painful cries were enough to drive him over the edge right then and there, his blood curdling in his veins as they echoed in his ears. But he had to be patient - though it was hanging loosely by a thread just waiting to unravel completely.

The particles removed themselves easily, - albeit still painfully - from both Donna and Lance, but for Rose it was more of a challenge, and far worse. Since she took in the Heart of the TARDIS and became the Bad Wolf a part of Her connected with Rose and stuck, which led to a possibility the Doctor had thought would never be, something he only _dreamed_ of happening.

But those fantastical dreams wouldn't be proven to be an actuality until he dealt with the Racnoss issue at hand. The Empress caused Rose pain, and that reminder ultimately took whatever patience he had left and chucked it away. She lay motionless on the ground still alive, just breathing slowly while his own breaths came out ragged. As usual his morality fought with his fury. He still had to offer the Empress a chance to leave peacefully. For his sake - and everyone else's - she had better accept his offer, because knowing exactly what he was capable of doing, nothing would stop the Oncoming Storm from unleashing its full wrath.

A distant shout from Donna brought him back as he snapped his head up to watch as Lance plummeted down into the deep hole. "Harvest the humans!" the Empress shouted. "Reduce them to meat." The Doctor stood on the stairs waiting. Any moment now he would reveal himself. "My children are climbing towards me and none shall stop them!" she continued. "So you might as well unmask, my clever little doctor-man," she added with a hiss.

_Ah._ Letting out a sigh he turned and removed the disguise, discarding it to the side. "Oh well. Nice try." In a flash he held up a sonic to the web and untangled Donna's restraints. "I've got you, Donna!" he called.

"I'm gonna fall!" Donna screamed fearfully.

"You're gonna swing!" he assured. The webbing loosened and she held onto it tight. "I've got ya!" She shrieked as she swung down over the hole coming towards him. The Doctor held his arms out ready to catch her…and she missed him as she hit the wall just under him with a thud and fell to the floor on her back. He peered over the railing. "…Oh. Sorry."

"Thanks for nothing," she said flatly from the ground.

"The doctor-man amuses me," the Empress said with a raspy chuckle.

"Donna, check on Rose," he called down to her before turning back to the Empress, hardening his voice. "Empress of the Racnoss, I give you one last chance. I can find you a planet. I can find you a place in the universe to coexist. Take that offer and end this now."

"These men are so funny," the Empress replied.

"What's your answer?"

"Oh…I'm afraid I have to decline," she cackled.

_So be it. _She brought this upon herself when she planned this whole thing out, but she really sealed the deal when she hurt Rose. "What happens next is your own doing," he said scarily calm as the Oncoming Storm was starting to come over him. Now she would feel pain, he would make sure of it.

"I'll show you what happens next," she hissed back. "At arms!" The robot Santas obeyed her commands. "Take aim!" They all pointed their guns towards him. "And-"

"Relax," the Doctor said quietly. At his word the Santas went limp and shut off completely.

Donna was kneeling beside Rose and checking to make sure she was okay when she noticed the robots deactivating. "What did you do?" she called up to him.

"Guess what I've got, Donna?" He held up a remote and gave it a little shake. "Pockets."

"How did that fit in there?"

"They're bigger on the inside."

"Robo-forms are not necessary," the Empress rasped. "My children may feast on Martian flesh."

"Oh, but I'm not from Mars," the Doctor told her.

"Then where?"

"My home planet is far away and long since gone, but its name lives on." He paused for a second before saying the name. "Gallifrey."

The Empress hissed in anger. "They murdered the Racnoss!"

"I warned you. You did this." His voice was cold and dark as he pulled out a handful of baubles from his pocket.

"No!" the Empress shrieked. "No! Don't! No!"

The Doctor threw them into the air one by one and directed them with the remote. Some whirred around the Empress as she began to panic before speeding down the corridors, exploding as they smashed into the walls and letting in the raging water from the Thames. Another bauble exploded, causing a fire to to blaze up near the Empress. As the water flooded into the chamber and down into the hole, she cried, "My children!"

Donna watched from the ground in horror at what was being displayed. The Empress bellowed and cried for her children as water rained down on top of them and poured around their feet. She glanced up at the Doctor and barely recognized him. Though a blazing fire was shining behind him showering him in its light all she can see was a man with a darkened expression as his eyes were distant and fixed onto the destruction, water streaking down his features. The young, cheery man she had seen almost all day had disappeared and was replaced by one of anger and darkness. He may have looked young but for a short moment something flicked in his eyes, something…old and ancient.

As the water raged Donna lifted Rose up to get her on her feet, but the poor girl was still unconscious and was deadweight. "Doctor!" She called up at him as he stood frozen. "You can stop now!" She turned back to the blonde and inspected her face. "C'mon wake up, Rose," Donna said as she shook her in her arms. "Wake up, Martian girl!"

The sight of a limp Rose in Donna's arms snapped the Doctor back to the present. Glancing back at the Empress his breath hitched slightly as he watched her writh in the water crying for her children. He was endangering everyone in this room - Donna, himself and of course Rose. He had to stop.

He leaped over the railing and landed firmly on the ground. Picking himself up he ran over to the women, his stomach swooping when he saw Rose coming back to consciousness. He placed a hand on her cheek and brushed the drops of water from her face as it rained over them. "Come on!" he yelled over the mayhem around them. "Time I got you both out of here!" He took Rose in his arms and began to lead them to the stairs.

"Doctor," she said weakly. "'M fine, I can run."

"Welcome back," he said with a grin as he let her down and grabbed her hand as they charged up the stairs with Donna directly behind. They made it back to the corridors and came across the door with the ladder leading up to the Thames flood barrier. He pushed both of them up the ladder with him following.

Donna, who was the first one climbing up, called down to him. "But what about the Empress?"

"She's used up all her Huon energy, she's defenseless!" the Doctor answered.

Once she made it to the top, Donna saw how little room there was and cautiously stood a little to the side so the others could come up. Rose popped up next and sat down at the edge of the opening with her legs dangling in the hole. The Doctor was right behind her as he reached them and remained on the ladder. Looking up, the Racnoss web starship was drifting in the sky before being blown up by cannon strikes.

The three of them triumphantly cheered, Rose throwing her arms around the Doctor's neck and embracing him. She pulled back slightly to capture his lips in a celebratory victory snog, his arms wrapping around her waist as he balanced himself on top of the ladder while she sat at the edge.

Donna laughed breathlessly at everything that had just happened. "Just…there's one problem," she finally said.

Both the Doctor and Rose broke the kiss. "What's that?" he asked.

Donna turned to them with a small smile. "We've drained the Thames." With that they fell into another laughing fit.

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Once they made it back to the TARDIS Donna sat down on the jump seat as the Doctor set in the coordinates for her home in Chiswick. Rose was feeling more like herself, for the most part. The fact that she still had remnants of the Heart of the TARDIS was both frightening and for some reason…exiting. A part of her just wanted to leap in the air with joy, though she really didn't know why. The Doctor had said that she was fine and it wasn't harmful. Had he known all this time that she still had it within her?

She stood beside him at the console and noticed a sudden shift in his eyes and stature, suddenly seeming tense. Was it because he realized that he hadn't removed all of the particles from her system and now he blamed himself, or did he do something regretful while she was unconscious? Before she blacked out she remembered writhing on the chamber floor by the hole in pain as the particles in her body tried to pull out of her. When she finally woke up the entire chamber was flooding with raging waters, fires, explosions and the sound of the Empress's cries.

Knowing the Doctor he must have done something darkly in a way he had never wanted to initiate. She could only imagine the Oncoming Storm unleashed from its cage after scratching the surface just waiting to come out. Now he looked regretful.

Rose placed a hand on his arm, getting him to face her. She could see the darkness churning behind his chocolate eyes but he still offered her a small smile. That was what he did the best - hide everything that ate up at his insides behind happiness and manic energy. He shouldn't have to keep all of that locked inside, not since they shattered the barriers of their relationship. They've waited so long to get to this point just holding everything back - they promised not to anymore. He may not have showed her the deep wounds and darkness from his past, but they were moving steadily one step at a time.

With her hand still rested on his arm she gave a gentle squeeze and gave a brief nod. She understood and forgave him even if he didn't realize it. The Doctor looked down at her hand and placed his opposite one on top of it before bringing his eyes back to hers. He knew she did, but still looked uncertain.

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In no time the TARDIS materialized outside of Donna's home. She stepped out to the solid ground while the Doctor and Rose stood in the doorway, leaning against the frame as he wrapped an arm around her waist. "There we go," he said cheerfully, tapping the side with his opposite hand. "Told you she'd be all right. She can survive anything."

"More than I've done," Donna said, shrugging unhappily.

The Doctor released his hold on Rose for a moment to take out the sonic and gave Donna a quick scan. "Nope! All the Huon particles have gone. No damage, you're fine."

She turned to Rose. "What about you, Rose? You feel all right?"

"I'm fine," Rose assured with a nod, feeling the Doctor tense up beside her. "Like the Doctor said, my situation was a lot different than yours, but I'm okay now. Even better knowing you're all right."

"Yeah, but apart from that, I missed my wedding, lost my job and became a widow on the same day. Sort of."

Rose let out a small laugh. "If it makes you feel any better," she nodded her head towards the Doctor, "this one blew up my job on the first day we met, too." Donna chuckled, then Rose's expression saddened. "I'm so sorry about Lance."

"I couldn't save him," the Doctor added sadly.

Donna waved it off, her face hardening. "He deserved it."

"You don't mean that," Rose said softly. As much as she herself hated the man he still shouldn't have died the way she was told he did.

Her face softened. "No…I don't." She glanced back at the house. "I'd better get inside. They'll be worried."

They watched as her parents embraced each other by a table."Best Christmas present they could have," the Doctor said, before adding with a small smile. "Oh no, I forgot - you hate Christmas."

Rose turned to Donna with shock. "Really?"

"Yes, I do," Donna said, chuckling softly.

The Doctor released his arm from around Rose's waist to lean back and flip a switch inside the door of the TARDIS. "Even if it snows?" Suddenly a ball of light shot out of the lamp at the top of the TARDIS and exploded in the sky like a firework, turning into snow. Rose and Donna's faces lit up at the snowflakes dancing around them and laughed happily.

"I can't believe you did that!" Donna cried.

"You never said the TARDIS can make it snow!" Rose laughed.

The Doctor looked up at the sky. "Oh, basic atmospheric excitation," he said nonchalantly before lowering his head to their gaze with a soft grin.

"You're still full of surprises," Rose chuckled. A happy sound came from his throat as wrapped his arm back around her waist.

Donna kept her soft smile and flitted her eyes between them. "Merry Christmas," she said.

The Doctor smiled. "And you."

"So…what will you do with yourself now?" Rose asked.

Donna let out a sigh, still wearing the soft smile. "Not getting married for starters. And I'm not gonna temp anymore. I dunno…travel…see a bit more of planet Earth…walk in the dust. Just…go out there and do something."

"Well, you could always…" Rose trailed off, looping her finger in one of her earrings.

"What?"

"…Come with us," the Doctor finished.

Donna smiled lightly and shook her head. "No."

"Okay," he nodded quickly, his gaze dropping to the ground.

"I can't..."

"No, that's fine," he insisted, waving it off.

"No, but really…everything we did today…do you two live your lives like that?"

They both hesitated for a second before Rose said defensively, "Not all the time."

"I think you do," Donna said gently. "And I couldn't."

"But you've seen it out there," the Doctor tried to reason. "It's beautiful."

"And it's terrible," Donna said shaking her head, "That place was flooding and burning and they were dying and you…" she paused for a second, "Were stood there like...I don't know. A stranger. And then you made it snow," she let out a small laugh, "I mean, you scare me to death!"

Rose felt the Doctor stiffen next to her and hold her waist tighter when a short moment of silence hung between them. Now she knew why he seemed off after they escaped. She brought her hand to rest on his back and rubbed small circles, which made him relax a bit. "Well then," he finally said quietly.

"Tell you what I will do though - Christmas dinner." Donna offered with a smile. Rose bit her lip and the Doctor sensed her tension. "Oh, come on," Donna urged.

The Doctor figured Rose might not be up for another Christmas right now judging by her hesitation, and he understood. They may have visited the Christmas planet and celebrated the holiday for almost a week in the TARDIS by themselves, but it would be the first time they'd celebrate without her mother in this universe. Just hours ago she said goodbye to her for the very last time, she was still grieving. She didn't need anymore now.

"We…don't do that sort of thing," he said gently.

"You did it last year! You said so," Donna reminded. "And you might as well, because Mum always cooks enough for twenty."

"No, we really have things to sort out." It may not have been a decent excuse, but it's all he could give.

Rose finally spoke. "Thank you for the offer, Donna, really," she said with a soft smile. She walked over to the woman and hugged her. "It's been nice meeting you," she pulled back went back over to the Doctor.

Donna looked like she was about to protest again, but accepted it and nodded.

They both smiled before heading back into the TARDIS. Donna turned to go back home, but when the TARDIS began to leave she shouted, "Doctor! Rose!"

The ship became solid again, then Rose opened the door giggling while the Doctor stuck his head out. "Blimey, you can shout."

"Am I ever going to see you two again?"

He smiled. "If we're lucky."

"Just promise me one thing, Doctor," she pointed to Rose, "Don't you dare let go of that girl."

The Doctor smirked. "Had no intentions to." He glanced down at the lovely blonde, "I made a promise," he said quietly.

"Good, because you need someone to stop you, Doctor." She flitted her eyes between the two, "You both have something special, I can see it. Like I said before, a blind person can see it!" Rose laughed before Donna finished. "You two need each other. Don't let go of each other."

"Thank you, Donna," Rose said.

"Even better," Donna took off the bio-damper her finger and tossed it back to the Doctor. "One day you should give her a reason to wear one of those, and I don't mean a bio…whatever, I mean a _proper_ ring."

Rose couldn't stop herself from laughing as the Doctor's eyes widened and his brows hit his hairline. That was an interesting thought.

"Yeah," he finally said quietly before returning to his chipper tone. "Thanks then, Donna. Good luck," he started to go back in before peeking out again. "And just…be magnificent."

Donna gave a small chuckle. "I think I will, thanks." They both smiled again as they went back in the TARDIS and shot into the sky.

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After leaving Donna Noble to her family Rose noted how unusually quiet the Doctor was. He stood at the console and flicked over random controls while she sat behind him on jump seat. For a moment she thought he wasn't even breathing but she saw his back moving slightly. She knew exactly why he was quiet - he was wallowing in his regret again. Being with him long enough allowed her to be able to read him a little more easily but like she said before, underneath all of that bouncing energy was a man haunted by his demons. For so long he's beaten himself over his faults and it pained her, even more so since he's been doing it alone for a while. But she was here to stay with him, and she can take some of that pain away.

"Doctor," she said quietly, which sounded a lot louder given that the entire room was silent except for the time rotor.

"Hm?" He stayed in the same position, facing the console and pressing buttons.

She hesitated before asking him something when she already knew what his answer would be. Still, she asked anyway. "You all right?"

Then came the usual answer always said with nonchalance: "I'm always all right."

Rose shook her head. "No, Doctor, you're not," she said firmly. "I can tell when you're overthinking things or beatin' yourself up over something that you did, and I want you to stop it."

His hands stilled on the console, then after a moment he started to fiddle with them again. Rose sighed at him and stood up from the seat to place a hand on his back. She felt his body tense up at her touch, but she kept it there and rubbed the spot. "Doctor, I know you feel guilty about what you did, but you can't-"

"I drowned children," he said with a grim voice that sent a chill down her spine. "_Children_, Rose. I wiped out an entire race," he let out a mirthless chuckle, "_Again_."

"You did what you had to-"

"No," he cut in softly. The Doctor lowered his head and turned it off to the side, probably so she wouldn't get to look him in the eye. She heard him swallow hard and leaned closer and saw the muscles of his jaw twitching before stiffening. "I lost myself, Rose. I became a monster. All I wanted was for her the Empress to suffer so cruelly that I didn't even care about anything else." He let out a breath and turned to face her. "I wanted her to feel pain far worse than what she caused _you."_

Closing his eyes for a moment and turning his head away the images played out in his mind like a movie reel, so detailed with every movement and every sound: Rose writhing on the ground in agonizing pain as the particles tried to extract themselves from her insides, the blood curdling cries escaping her throat when it proved not to be working, the maniacal cackling from the Empress as she stood by enjoying the scene as sadistic as it was, and the sight of an unconscious Rose laying helplessly and unceremoniously on the ground. Over and over they came back to him and made his skin crawl.

He shivered when he felt Rose place a gentle hand on the side of his cheek and bring him back to face her. Slowly opening his eyes he was greeted with her own, wide and softening as she studied him. Inhaling a shaky breath he held it in as he spoke, his voice quiet. "The sight of you suffering like that made me snap and lose what little sanity I had left. I was so close to blowing my cover sooner. And to top it all off I endangered your life by almost drowning you in the process." His eyes downcast. "We already narrowly missed being separated and I almost lost you again." He brought his eyes back up to hers, placing a hand on her wrist as she held his face. "I almost broke my promise because I broke inside. Rassilon knows what would've happened if I hadn't snapped back. I could've been the one responsible for…" he sighed, "Is all this really worth it?" He asked quietly.

Rose brought her other hand up to fully cup his face and he turned his body away from the console. She could clearly see how distant his eyes were, dark and solemn. "I know that you hate the way you handled the situation, maybe it was all a bit extreme, but you don't have to dwell on it all by yourself." He opened his mouth but she silenced him with a finger and kept it there. "Don't you say otherwise. We _both_ made the promise, Doctor - _together_. When we finally opened up to each other back on Noel I told you that you wouldn't have to carry all that pain inside alone anymore because I'm here with you. I always will be. I promised you forever and I have all intentions of keeping it.

"And you're definitely not a monster. A monster is someone who destroys things out of sheer enjoyment and lives off of the pain of others for their own sick needs while trying to please their egotistical tendencies." She tilted her head and squinted one of her eyes. "While you _do_ have an ego it's all for the good and brilliance and anything but evil," she smiled when a chuckle escaped from his nose. "Just because you have demons inside doesn't mean they define you fully. Nobody's perfect, and that's what makes you right. Understanding those imperfections and faults means you're ready to move on and fight - like a hero. That's what you are, Doctor, a _hero._ The amount of lives you've saved outweighs the ones who unfortunately couldn't make it.

"Also for the record, you still came back to save me and Donna in the midst of all the madness, just like every other time. You show how much you care constantly - you burned up a Sun just so I could say goodbye to my mum!" She lowered her head for a moment before lifting her eyes back up to his. "I know we came close to losing each other, but that's what happen in our lives. The universe keeps trying to split us up but they never will no matter how hard they try. And yes, this," she took her hand off his cheek and gestured between them, "This is definitely still worth it. Do _you_ still think it is, Doctor?"

A small smile grazed his lips as he pressed a soft kiss to her fingertip still over his mouth. He raised a hand to grasp her hand in his and nodded. "Oh yes. I swore to you I'd protect you with my lives and I'll be damned if I were to break that promise." He placed his fingers on her chin and tilted her head up. "You're never gonna stop making me better, are you?" He asked softly.

Rose smiled wide. "Never ever." The Doctor brought her close and held her tight, placing a kiss to her hair before burying his face in the crook of her neck. They stayed that way for a while until he finally pulled back. "Doctor, is it okay that I don't wanna celebrate Christmas right now? I mean, it feels odd with…without Mum around and…"

He shook his head. "Nah, there's nothing wrong with it. You can celebrate it when you're ready." He scratched his sideburn. "Weeell, we did plenty of celebrating at Noel and after we left Noel, so it's fine that we take a break."

She grinned. "Kay. Still wanna check me out in the medbay?"

"Yes. You've been lightheaded and sick almost all day, not to mention you've still got particles from the TARDIS inside of you, which would explain those symptoms." He inclined his head and studied her. "But you need to rest."

"Doctor, I'm fine." She fought back a yawn, but the Doctor noticed and raised his brows. "Shut up," she said.

He snickered at her and booped her nose. "Thought you loved your bed?"

She lightly pushed him. "I do but I thought you were so eager to make sure I wouldn't burn up."

"Rose, I assure you that you won't burn," he said holding her arms, "From what I've seen and scanned, they're stable and harmless. We can check them out after you've rested."

"Are those 'Doctor's Orders,' then?" she grinned cheekily.

"Yep! Now you better get to bed, missy."

"Yes, sir," she teased, before reaching down to take his hands in hers, "Will you stay with me?"

"Of course," he said sincerely. "Just don't hog the covers this time."

"Oi!" She smacked his arm and he laughed.

Walking hand in hand, they made it to their bedroom and changed. Rose threw on her sleeveless pink vest over her tank top and her black trousers, while the Doctor removed his jacket and tie, leaving his light blue Oxford on and rolling up the sleeves. She lifted up the duvet and slid underneath as the Doctor toed off his trainers and joined her, bringing an arm around her waist and pulling her close to his chest. Within minutes she fell fast asleep in his arms.

When Rose would wake up, he would take her to the medbay to check on the particles inside of her. Once the checkup would be completed the results could very well lead to new possibilities to their new beginning - no, their _new,_ new beginning - and for their future.

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**Wow, this was longer than I thought lol :D **

**Just a random note, the song "My Demons" by Starset came on my Pandora station while I wrote parts of this, and it's a perfect song for the Doctor. Yeah, not really important, just felt like mentioning it xD **


	5. A Gift from the Universe

**A/N: A short _*important*_ chapter right before we meet Martha. There'll be some of these in between the episode chapters just so we can get a closer look at what's going on in the TARDIS with our lovely travelers and how their relationship pans out :)**

**Two chapters in two days - just for you guys ;)**

**As always many thanks to all the reviewed, followed and faved! You all brighten my day :D**

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_**Chapter 5: A Gift from the Universe**_

Rose had been awake for about five minutes already but decided to keep her eyes closed and just remained under the covers, all comfortable and cozy while wrapped in her cocoon and in the Doctor's warm embrace. Ever since she and the Doctor had begun to share a bed - specifically _his_ bed - her sleeping had gotten better. Normally she would jolt out of her bed whenever a nightmare disturbed her peaceful slumber and scream for him if it was really bad, then he'd stay with her in her room until she fell back to sleep. Now she had never slept better in her life.

After the events of yesterday the Doctor was right when he said some rest would do her good. She had said her last goodbye to her mother in the parallel world by sending a projection of herself through a tiny crack in the universe while orbiting around a supernova. Right after that a woman in a wedding dress named Donna somehow transported herself onto the TARDIS while in-flight. Turns out she had been dosed with the same particles found in the TARDIS - and apparently still in Rose - and was being used by the man she was about to marry who worked for an alien spider that was trying to bring back her children in the center of the Earth.

Yeah, sleep was definitely a priority and she honestly didn't want to get out of bed just yet. Surprisingly the Doctor hadn't even tried to get her out.

Usually whenever the Doctor would try to wake Rose up and get her out of bed he would yell for her get out of her blanket cocoon, bounce on her bed with his manic enthusiasm like an excited puppy or, if she really didn't budge at all, resort to drastic measures and attack her with tickling. But ever since they took that giant leap in their relationship he's been using different methods. Granted he would still use the other ways whenever he wanted to, but he's been taking more gentle approaches to get her out of bed.

Right now though, he wasn't initiating any method of getting her up and out.

He was still in the bed spooning her from behind with an arm wrapped securely around her waist and his chest pressed against her back, the double rhythm of his hearts vibrating through her body. She felt his steady breaths puff out on the back of her neck and tickling her skin as he nuzzled her hair with his nose. Rose was unsure whether or not he was actually sleeping - him being a Time Lord he didn't require the same amount of sleep as humans, he would usually just take a quick kip for about an hour before he walking around the TARDIS and tinker with stuff. But he does sometimes take longer naps if he needs to, just not as often.

Lowering her covers and turning around in his arms slowly, she was greeted with a pair of warm chocolate eyes gazing down at her with an equally warm smile spread on his lips. His arm was still holding her waist firmly while he bent his other at the elbow to prop his head on his hand. Rose smiled at him. "Good morning," she said.

"Morning," he said softly, "Sleep well?"

She nodded her head. "Yeah, feel a lot better now. You were right, a rest was just what I needed."

The Doctor lifted his chin up slightly. "Aren't I usually always right?"

"No."

His smug expression turned to mock exasperation. "Oi!" He lifted his hand from its resting place on her hip and tickled her ribs with his forefinger, causing her to yelp and him to grin. Rose began to laugh which led to him joining her and not easing up his action. His finger moved up to tickle her armpit and she couldn't restrain herself. He stopped when she swatted his hand away and placed it firmly back on her hip, brushing over the soft skin with his thumb.

Rose laid her head back on her pillow and looked up at him. His light blue Oxford was opened slightly, giving her a small glimpse of his chest. With a single finger, she ghosted over the few soft hairs that were peeking over the collar. "How long've you been awake?"

"A while."

That wasn't surprising. "I figured. Just patiently waiting for me?"

"Yes."

"Don't you ever get bored?" She asked.

The Doctor lightly shrugged his shoulder. "Nah, with a mind as big as mine? That's impossible. I think of a great deal of things."

Rose mirrored his position and leaned her head on her hand. "Whatcha thinking about now?"

He squinted one of his eyes as he raised them to the ceiling. "Weeell," he drawled, "Earlier l thought of an extremely long and complicated equation and worked out how to solve it. Then I thought about going back to the banana grove on Villengard and stock up on supplies."

Rose snorted. "I still can't believe you destroyed a factory to plant a banana grove, but then again that really is something you'd do."

The Doctor turned his gaze back to her. "Not just _any_ factory, it was a 51st century weapons factory. No harm in fixing it up by planting in something of good use and source of potassium." He leaned in closer with a serious expression and arched his brows. "Bananas are _good_, Rose."

She laughed at him. "Always finding an opportunity to say that."

"Well, it true, isn't it?"

"Hmmm…I guess so," she teased.

He grinned and made that happy sound in his throat before leaning down to kiss her softly. Rose removed her hand from his chest to bring it up to his cheek and stroked his sideburn gently with her nails. The Doctor let out a low growl before she angled his face and deepened the kiss with a small flick of her tongue at his entrance. Reciprocating with equal fervor, he lowered his arm from propping his head up and leaned into her touch, pushing her slightly down on her back to rest her head on the pillow. Rose moaned softly as his tongue met hers slowly stroke for stroke, cupping his face before massaging his scalp.

With tender fingers the Doctor lightly caressed the soft skin of her hip, rotating in small tight circles and lines of his declaration to her in his home script before lining a path up along her ribs until he reached the bottoms of both her vest and tank top that had ridden up. He hesitated and stilled his hand. Was he scared that they were going too far too fast? This was always as far as they got - passionate kissing and light skin contact. They never went further than that though, possibly because everything was still new and fresh and didn't want to rush things if they weren't ready.

Of course the tension between the two of them was undeniable - two years worth of bottled up feelings of mutual love. But there was no need to rush things. They just took it one step at a time.

The Doctor splayed his hand across the small of Rose's back and slid it up her spine underneath her shirts, grazing her skin lightly with his nails. He stopped just below the hooks of her bra and made his way back down, repeating the motion and ultimately sending electricity through their bodies. Rose let out another moan before they both pulled back to breathe and rested their foreheads together. The Doctor shifted a bit and placed a light kiss to the tip of her nose.

Rose chuckled breathlessly and brought one of her hands down on his chest between both hearts. "I'm guessing you thought about that for a while too, yeah?"

He chuckled out of his nose and lifted his forehead from hers to look her better in the eyes. "I have." One of his brows arched. "You know you still sleep entirely too much?"

"That's not my fault that I'm a human," she said.

"Maybe but Rose, you sleep the equivalent of a hibernating bear."

She exasperated. "I don't sleep that much."

He shook his head. "No, no, you're right. Definitely a lot _more_ than that."

"Oh really?" she playfully swatted his chest. "Did you figure that out while I was sleeping, then?"

"Not really, but I can make some calculations for that another time," he gave her a lopsided grin before leaning down for a quick kiss. "Right now I need to do some tests on you."

Rose groaned with indifference. Yesterday she was so anxious to know exactly the particles were doing to her body. Though she still felt that way a wave of uneasiness came over her to where she feared the facts. We're they killing her and she didn't even realize? That kind of truth would definitely not hold up to her right now. Not only that she was certainly not ready to leave this. Yes, they did this quite a lot, but she loved getting lost in these amazing moments.

"Doctor, I told you I'm fine. My head isn't cloudy and my stomach feels normal."

"I'm happy to know that you're feeling better, but I still need to check to see how stable the particles in your system are," he replied.

She paused. "Have you always known that they were still some inside me and didn't say?"

He scratched the back of his neck. "I've had a feeling that there could be some still lingering around your insides, but I always brushed it aside. What's inside you now is the residual energy, just a smattering."

"Am I gonna burn, Doctor?"

He swallowed as he studied her. "I don't fully know, but I don't think you would. The only way to find out is by running tests."

She closed her eyes and placed a hand over her eyes. The Doctor knew that she was probably scared about finding out they were still within her body when he told her that he extracted them all, but if his thoughts were certain she should still be safe, and the results could prove to be a fantastical miracle and dream for the both of them.

The Doctor took her hand away from her eyes and brushed his thumb over the backs of her knuckles. "Rose, I assure you that you'll be fine. I know you're afraid of what they're doing to your system, but whatever happens I'll do all that I can to help you."

Rose looked like she was about say something else but instead nodded. They both untangled themselves from each other and got dressed then went down to the medbay.

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Rose sat patiently on the bed in the medbay with her legs swaying in the air as they dangled off the edge waiting for the Doctor to finish reading the scans. He stood hunched over in front of a large screen and studied the results. All she could see was his gravity defying hair peeking over the top and his eyes full of intense concentration with his glasses perched on his nose. She was nervous and a little afraid of what the scans would show but she felt a small joyful feeling in the back of her mind.

"Oh," she heard the Doctor quietly breathe out finally, his brows rising to his hairline. Her insides began to shake. What was he reading? Was it good or bad? She gripped the edge of the bed tightly fearing the worst possible outcomes from this. Her nerves hadn't calmed down any when the Doctor removed his glasses and straightened up to his full height and his hands buried in his trouser pockets. His expression was unreadable as he stared at the screen. _Oh God_.

The suspense was killing her, she couldn't take not knowing. If something was wrong with her then she needed to know. "Well…? Doctor, what's it say?"

She saw his tongue pop out and wet his bottom lip, eyes still fixed on the screen. After a moment he hummed low then turned his head to her, his mouth slightly parted. "Oh, Rose."

He sounded far too quiet, which meant this was bad.

Rose stared at him cautiously. Her stomach wasn't coping with her now and she felt like crying. They promised each other that they'd cherish every waking moment of their time together, but she feared that it was now cut short. She failed him. Her face turned to one of pure confusion when a wide grin suddenly crept on his lips. A breathless laugh escaped from him as he sauntered over to the bed to stand in front of her, placing his hands on either sides of her face and pulling her in for a kiss. Her eyes widened in shock. _What the hell?_

The kiss was brief as he pulled back, the smile still splitting his face while she just stared at him with a lost expression. "Um…Doctor?"

"Oh, this is-this is brilliant!" he exclaimed.

Rose still stared at him, but sounded a little hopeful at his enthusiasm. "So…I'm not gonna burn up, then?"

"That's not all you won't be doing," he replied with a small laugh. He darted back to the screen to explain the results. "You see, Huon energy is ancient and powerful, it can mutate and unravel atom structures and, well, it technically _did_, just not to the point where drastic repercussions would occur. The particles that were inside of Donna were being manufactured by the water, and not as powerful as the kind found back on Gallifrey or in the TARDIS. She recognized them, yes, because they're relatively similar, but they weren't all fully the same.

"Now, when you looked into Her Heart and took in the Time Vortex the way you did, your genetics evolved dramatically - well, I shouldn't say it like that. More like rapidly, yes that's it, like pressing the fast forward button, so to speak. Your DNA is still human, sort of. It's actually more similar to TNA structure like mine, with a third helix and some extra strands and everything. Your cells are replicating at an incredible rate. So basically the Huon energy slightly unraveled your DNA and allowed it to integrate with your system. Oh, that's just amazing!"

Rose blinked once, trying her best to fully understand what he just said. "So…are you saying that…that I'll be all right then?"

The Doctor lifted his head from the screen. "_All right?_ Rose Tyler, you're definitely a _lot_ more than that," he exclaimed. "From what I can tell by these results is that your healing abilities have rapidly increased and much more effective," he nodded at her, "Take a look at your hand," he told her. She did as he told and inspected her left hand - her burn marks on her knuckles were gone. Flipping it over to her palm she saw the same thing - healed skin. They may not have been too serious but she should still have some faint scar of some kind visible, but it looked as if she hadn't even hurt herself.

Still stunned Rose lifted her gaze back to the Doctor who was smirking. "That's the energy," he said then continued to explain, "You're connected with the TARDIS, Rose. The residual energy that's left inside you melded together with your human DNA and made it more. To any normal human being those burns you sustained yesterday when the console exploded should have scarred for about two weeks, and another week for the color to return to normal. But not you, you're so much more, Rose."

He chuckled for a second, "I've always thought you were more than ordinary - well, there is no such thing as an _ordinary_ human, but you're in a standalone category. You're a Human 2.0! Can survive a lot of things that would be too severe or life-threatening that would be issues to average humans. Well, of course not _everything, _for example gunshot or knife wounds in certain places, so please be careful," he gave a lopsided grin, "Anything's possible with you. But besides that it appears that you won't age anytime soon. You'll be living for a very, very long time - a lifetime extremely close to matching my own," he finished softly.

Rose's mouth was agape and her mind couldn't get her to register any words. She had thought these particles were deadly and were killing her insides, but instead it turns out they were doing the opposite and _extending_ her life. Not aging and not dying anytime soon were aces in her book, but the real clincher to all of this was that she could live happily with the Doctor for many years, centuries even! This was all so much to take in and so overwhelming that their chance of forever was now definite.

No words could do justice to describe exactly how the Doctor felt after finding this out. All of his lives he had wondered why the universe had cursed him countless times, and for once they had gave him a gift - no, they gave _them_ a gift. The opportunity to have forever together. What was an impossible dream had turned into a blessing, a miracle. And he wouldn't waste it for the world.

He turned away from the screen and walked back over to the bed where she still sat, his hands reaching for hers. She must have been letting everything sink in just as he was, but he needed to hear what she was thinking. "Say something, Rose."

Instead of saying anything in words, she responded by throwing her arms around his neck with a happy squeal and pressing her lips to him for passionate kiss. That was all response that he needed, and they were his thoughts exactly.


	6. Smith, Tyler, and Jones Part 1

**A/N: The beginning is just some extra fluffiness right before they check into the Royal Hope Hospital. You could skip that small part and go right to when they find the hospital if you want. (Though I think no one will, so just ignore that last sentence. Blah xD)**

**Many thanks to those who've reviewed, followed, and faved! You're all great motivation ;)**

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_**Chapter 6: Smith, Tyler, and Jones Part 1**_

It's been a week since they both found out that Rose had an extended lifetime that would ensure her to live as long as the Doctor due to the residual energy from the TARDIS, and since then he's been treating her by taking her to exciting and beautiful planets.

After briefly celebrating when finding out the universe had been kind to them for giving them such a miraculous gift, the Doctor took her to Gresobupp, the largest amusement park planet in the 64th century spanning two galaxies. Its main attraction was a ride called the AeroTrain, which was basically a rollercoaster that flew across the spiral rings surrounding the planet and gave the passengers an amazing view of the dual bending galaxies consisting of colors of green, gold and red. Not only were the rides thrilling but the cotton candy was deliciously and wickedly sweet, and not to her surprise the Doctor got the biggest cones available.

Then he took her to a place with a name so long that she couldn't even remember that was a paradise planet. It reminded Rose of Hawaii but much more vibrant. The landscape looked like that of a watercolor painting splashed with a mixture of warm and cool colors. Much to Rose's pleasure the climate had been warm as well. They had stayed there for about three days and then decided to head off.

The Doctor had mentioned that he had long since wanted to go back to Villengard to check on his banana grove, as well as stock up on them. He told her it's been a while since he's seen it last, but assured her that it was still large and harvested, though he was there only once.

"Oh, look at that! Hasn't changed at all," the Doctor exclaimed as they stepped out of the TARDIS and onto a vast dirt field surrounded by tall trees and bushes. Sure enough there were small bunches of bananas dangling off of the branches waiting to be picked. "No, wait a second," he licked the tip of his forefinger and thrust it in the air. "This is the east end, the smaller patches. The larger bunches are grown on the west. C'mon!" He grabbed a hold of Rose's hand and led her through the twisted pathways of the maze. The second they turned another corner, his face split into a wide grin. "Aw, brilliant! They've grown more and more since the last time I was here."

Rose rolled her eyes playfully and shook her head at his enthusiasm. He wasn't minding when he said they were the larger ones. In fact they looked to be the size of her own legs. "How did they get so big?" she asked, stunned

He whipped out his sonic from his jacket pocket. "Special setting for growth, specifically for fruits," he turned the device between his fingers, "Plus after the factory here overloaded and was destroyed-"

"You mean when _you_ destroyed it," Rose cut in with a laugh.

The Doctor shot her an innocent look. "Anywaaaay," he drawled, "When the factory blew up it left behind a certain chemical that expanded widths, lengths - basically like a growth serum - just in this area where they were locked up tight."

"Why have them if they were only to be locked up?"

"They weren't at first, but after someone got their hands on one of them they used it without understanding how to operate it and wound up expelling the chemical onto their head. Blew up to the size of an air balloon! After that incident, the workers thought it best to just keep them contained."

"That makes sense," Rose said. "Wait a minute Doctor, if the chemical lingers in this area, does that mean our heads'll do the same?"

He turned at her with furrowed brows. "Of course not! It's vented from the air now and only in the soil underneath the trees. Just don't eat the soil and you'll be all right," he said nudging her shoulder as they walked up to one of the trees.

"Good, thanks for the tip. We wouldn't want that to happen."

"Nope! Could you imagine that? Me with a large inflated head."

"You mean one larger than it already is," she teased.

He turned his head. "Oi! My head is not that big!"

She giggled. "No, but your ego is."

"Ha. Very funny," he commented as he reached up to feel one of the enormous bananas. "Oh, you are beautiful!" He exclaimed as he stroked its bright yellow peel. Rose giggled at him again. Only the Doctor would find absolute beauty out of a plump banana.

Because these ones were extremely huge the Doctor decided to leave them alone and just pick the smaller bunches. Making their way around the maze, they made it back to the east side. Lines of large green trees with bright bananas bordered the dirt trails, inviting them to pick as they please. The Doctor reached in his jacket pocket to pull out two large brown sacks, which was no doubt also bigger on the inside. He allowed Rose to roam freely and pick as many as she could, and that the brighter they were the more delicious and sweeter they were.

They both moved to their own trees, Rose stretching up to pick a few bunches hanging from the lower branches and placed them in her sack before trying to get some of the higher ones that were as yellow as the Sun. It proved to be more of a challenge since she wasn't really that tall. She turned her head to the Doctor who was plucking them off with ease, his height being put to good use. Sighing she reached as far as she could just brushing over the bottoms. Seeing as that wasn't working Rose bent down and jumped as high as she could and grabbed a hold of one of them…but didn't come down.

Pulling with her whole body, the banana wasn't budging as she was hanging in the air. Just as she was about to let go she felt her legs elevate until she was seated. Looking down she saw the Doctor helping by hoisting her up on his shoulders, the sack held tight in one fist as it bulged, and him looking up at her grinning, "If you needed help you could have asked."

"I was doing fine until this stubborn little bugger refused to come down."

He chuckled. "Just twist them to the right, they'll break off easier."

She followed his instructions and dropped the banana in her sack. Once she finished the Doctor helped her down and carried both of their sacks back to the TARDIS.

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After the Doctor stored away their many bunches of freshly picked bananas, he put the TARDIS in the vortex to drift around while he did some repairs underneath the console. Rose sat on the jump seat with a book in her hand when all of a sudden her stomach growled loudly.

"Blimey, that didn't sound good," the Doctor said from under the console.

"It's all right, Doctor, I'm just hungry," she answered.

"Oh, that was you? I thought it was the TARDIS." She kicked one of his feet that were sticking out and he snickered. "Eat a banana, we've got plenty. Well, probably a lot more than just 'plenty,' but still, we've got loads - no, that's not the right word either-"

She kicked his foot again. "Doctor, I already had one earlier."

"There's nothing wrong with eating another. Good source of potassium."

"I know, but I feel like eating some chips. Can we make a quick stop?"

"Right now?"

"Please?" she asked sweetly, closing her book.

The Doctor made his way out from underneath the console. "All right. I suppose it's only fair since you haven't had any in a while - which is very unlike you," he added with a smile. He stood up and punched in the coordinates for London and flipped the switch.

Rose set her book on the jump seat and stood next to him. "Thank you." He leaned over and kissed her forehead as the TARDIS jerked lightly.

Right as they arrived they began walking the streets for the chippy when Rose shivered.

"You're cold," the Doctor assumed.

"No I'm fine, s'just I felt something…strange." she said, twisting her face.

"Like what?"

"Something like, I dunno…static? Like a small shock."

The Doctor looked around them for any clues and looked up at the building they had stopped in front of - the Royal Hope Hospital. He eyed it suspiciously. "Static…could be plasma coils."

"You wanna investigate, don't you?" Rose asked with a small smile.

He winked at her. "We'll have to stay here for a little bit," he told her.

"How long?"

"A few days."

Rose groaned at that as they entered the hospital. They've been wandering around other planets enjoying themselves for a week, but now it's back to business.

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"All I wanted was some chips. That's all," Rose muttered as her stomach growled again. It was getting dark outside and she had yet to eat anything - well, she could have tried the food the hospital had to give, but she wanted something that seemed more…edible.

She was alone laying down in a hospital bed and wearing a gown. The Doctor had admitted her in with severe stomach cramps and flashed the psychic paper as proof of insurance. It had to be her as the patient because they couldn't risk the Doctor's physiological differences, specifically his two hearts. He filled out the form and made Rose his wife - Mrs. Smith - because technically speaking Rose Tyler was pronounced dead after Canary Wharf, as made by their doing for less complication. Rose made a little joke about being called 'the Smiths' just like the alternative band from the eighties, which the Doctor thought was clever of her.

An amusing thought came to her from all of this. Just being considered the Doctor's _wife_ was a joy and she inwardly laughed. Though she was going to spend centuries with him she was uncertain if they would ever wed. They really didn't _need_ to since they were already committed to each other, but it didn't matter. Who knows, maybe one day it would happen.

A moment later the Doctor snuck back into the room and shut the door quietly behind him. He noticed Rose watching his every movement. "Oh, you're awake." He had gone off to do some investigating while she was supposed to be sleeping.

"How could I sleep when my stomach is keeping me up?"

"Didn't you try the food?" He pointed at the rolling table with the cover still over the plate and off to the side.

Rose shook her head. "That stuff tastes like rubber, no thanks."

He chuckled as he strode over to the chair beside her bed. "I thought you'd say that, which is why I snuck out and got you these," he spoke quietly and reached into his jacket and pulled out a carton of hot, steaming chips. He put a finger over his lips and shushed before throwing her a wink.

Her face lit up as she took the carton in her hands. "Have I told you how much I love you lately?" She plopped one in her mouth and smiled at him.

"Yes, as a matter of fact in many ways." The Doctor reached over to steal one of her chips for himself and smiled.

"Ta," she said smiling.

Once Rose finished eating he discarded the evidence in his jacket while she let out a long yawn. Laying back down onto her pillow the Doctor leaned over to kiss her forehead and stroked her hair until she fell asleep.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

A pair of soft lips pressing to her own jolted Rose's eyes open and out of her slumber. The Doctor was leaning over her before gently pulling away and stroking her hair. "Sorry to wake you," he said quietly.

She smiled softly. "'S okay, I don't mind. How long did I sleep?"

"About six hours," he answered, "I forgot to mention that you actually don't need as much sleep as the average human anymore now that, well…" He trailed off with a lopsided grin before saying, "Besides I was wandering around again to investigate the coils - which are getting worse by the way-"

Rose groaned. "Of course they are. But then again, something exciting, yeah?"

He chuckled before finishing,"And I noticed a group of medical students making their rounds on this floor, so put on a believable facade of suffering from abdominal pain when they come in."

Rose chuckled and took his hand. "Only if you pull it off as the concerned husband."

His eyes widened. "Oh! I'm so thick! I almost forgot…" he reached in his jacket and pulled out a golden ring. "This is not a bio-damper," he took her hand and slipped it on her finger, "With this ring, I thee pretend wed," he smirked before placing a soft kiss to the ring.

"For better or worse," Rose said smiling. She observed the band when she saw scripture written on it. Bringing her hand closer she inspected the writing and noticed that it was in Gallifreyan. She looked back over to him and seen his ears turn pink.

"Ehm…I hope you don't mind, but I engraved that myself," he tugged his earlobe and cleared his throat, "I, um…is that all right?"

Rose looked at the band again. "What's it say?"

He swallowed and answered softly, "'My beloved Rose', as well as my declaration to you. Well, the whole one. For humans the feelings can't fully be described, so I figured you have to look the part and I made you a ring for the facade." He paused for a second. "I mean, I've already told you how I feel, well not fully, but in the way humans say it-"

She silenced him with a finger on his lips and chuckled. "It's perfect, Doctor." When he smiled back at her she grabbed his hand and squeezed it. "I already know how you feel and I wouldn't want it any other way. This whole thing may be an act but I know for a fact these words aren't." He gave her the ring for his finger and she slid it on with ease, also placing a kiss to it.

As if on cue the man called Dr. Stoker came up with a small group of med students as they entered their room. "Now then, Mrs. Smith, a very good morning to you. How are you today?" Stoker asked.

Rose clutched her stomach with the hand not holding the Doctor's and grimaced slightly. "A little better than yesterday but still feeling a bit, you know…blah." The Doctor turned his head to the side to cover up his grin. His brilliant Rose was a convincing hospital patient. Of course she took after him after watching him fake through incidents.

Stoker turned to the students and addressed them. "Rose Smith, admitted yesterday with severe abdominal pains," he looked over at one of his students, "Jones, why don't you see what you can find? Amaze me."

The young black woman called Jones was beautiful and looked to be around the same age as Rose. She stepped forward and eyed her warily. "Not a wise idea to run outside for chips, was it?"

Rose looked at her confused. "Sorry?"

"On Chancellor Street this morning? You came up to me and offered me a chip," she said.

The Doctor snorted. "Rose, did you sneak out to the chippy while I went down to the cafeteria? I didn't know you were _that_ hungry."

Before Rose could respond, Jones pointed at him. "You were there, too."

Now it was his turn to be confused. "What?"

"Yeah, you took off your tie."

"Really? What did we'd do that for?" The Doctor asked. Rose couldn't help but chuckle at his expression.

Jones shook her head. "I don't know, you just did."

"Well, it wasn't us. Rose has been sleeping in bed and I've been by her side the entire time. Ask the nurses," he informed her.

The student still eyed them. "Well that's weird, cos they seriously looked like you two. Have you got a brother and a sister?"

"Nope," the Doctor answered and squeezed Rose's hand. "Just us."

"As time passes, I grow ever more infirm and weary, Miss Jones," Stoker spoke up.

"Sorry," she said. "Right."

Jones took out her stethoscope and held it to Rose's chest to listen to her heartbeat.

"I weep for further generations," Stoker sighed dramatically from the side. "Are you having trouble locating the heart, Miss Jones?"

"Um, no," she said shyly, moving down to Rose's stomach. "Is there a chance that you may be pregnant?"

"Definitely not," Rose said confidently. She looked over at the Doctor and squeezed his hand.

They hadn't even initiated that physical stage in their relationship yet, and even if they already have, he already informed her that because her DNA had adjusted to the Huon energy the possibility of them conceiving a child would still be a very slim chance. However, after some discussions they thought it best to not make such a complicating decision. Given their lifestyle it wasn't really the ideal environment for upbringing a child, and it would only add more to the chaos.

Jones nodded. "Okay then…stomach cramps?"

"That is a symptom, not a diagnosis," Stoker commented. "And you rather failed basic techniques by not consulting first with the patient's chart," he picked up the chart but snapped his hand back when he received a small shock, dropping it on the bed.

"That happened to me this morning," Jones said.

"I had the same thing on the door handle," a male student said.

"And me, on the lift," said another student, a female.

The Doctor and Rose shared a glance. He had said that the plasma coils were getting worse, and it seemed it would only continue.

"That's only to be expected," Stoker said confidently. "There's a thunderstorm moving in and lightning is a form of static electricity, as was first proven by…anyone?"

No one answered. "Benjamin Franklin," the Doctor popped his head up and chirped happily.

"Correct!"

"My mate, Ben. That was a day and a half," he shook his head with nostalgic wonder on his face. He turned to Rose, "Have I ever told you about that time, Rose? I got rope burns off that kite, and then I got soaked..."

Stoker eyed the two of them suspiciously. "Quite…"

"…And then I got electrocuted! Still surprising that I didn't lose my hair," The Doctor finished.

"I should be grateful that you didn't," Rose laughed. "You know how much I love your hair." She raised a hand to ruffle his mane and he giggled.

"Moving on," Stoker interrupted as he turned back to the students and said quietly, though the Doctor and Rose heard him, "I think perhaps a visit from psychiatric for Mr. Smith. And next we have..."

The moment they were left alone again they burst into laughter. "Nice one, Doctor. Now they think you're a nutter!" She paused then added, "Though it's not hard to miss."

The Doctor smirked and booped her nose. "And yet you still stayed with me. Obviously you're nuttier than me…maybe more."

She swatted his arm. "Whatever you say."

"Yep." He stood up from his chair. "I'm gonna do some more snooping around. These coils are worsening by the minute."

"Okay, but don't go takin' your ties off at people," she joked.

"Only if you don't sneak out to the chippy," he retorted as he winked at her before leaving.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

While the Doctor was poking around the hospital investigating the plasma coils Rose sat up in the bed and read her book she had placed inside one of the Doctor's trans-dimensional pockets. She hated hospitals with a passion just as much as he did. Bad experiences have happened in them when they were around so this obviously wasn't a thrill, but investigating was always a fun adventure. But if they found another bitchy trampoline in the basement she'd probably just lose it.

Rose felt another static-y twitch and looked out of the window on the other side of the room. She crossed her eyes at what she saw outside - it was raining, but the water was falling _up_. Putting down her book she walked over to window and looked down. Sure enough the sidewalks were dry. _This was really strange_.

She turned to run back to her bed to get changed into her clothes. This was bad. Pulling the curtain around, she immediately started to shed off the hospital gown and shoved on her jeans when it was suddenly pulled back. She yelped as she turned around, covering her exposed chest. Luckily it was the Doctor who had returned, so she sighed in relief. Then she noticed him wearing a different suit - a _blue_ one.

"This is bad, very, very bad-" he said once he joined her behind the curtain. He suddenly froze when his eyes caught sight of Rose's bare chest, covered only with a white lace bra and her hands.

Rose noticed where his eyes were directed and snapped her fingers at him. "Hello, Doctor. Plasma coils, rain falling up, _bad_…"

He blinked and shook his head, bringing himself back. "Right! Sorry," he scratched his neck awkwardly before going back to the issue at hand, "About the rain - that's what the plasma coils were used for, to create an H2O scoop."

As Rose threw her shirt and jacket on she fixed her gaze on his suit. "Why'd you change your suit?"

"Oh yes. My brown one had oil stains on it so I traded it for this one."

"Why didn't you just sonic it clean like you always do?"

"Well, I wanted to break in this new suit. It's TARDIS blue!" He turned to each side to model it. "You like it?"

Rose eyed it up and down, also noticing how he changed his white trainers for red ones. "The brown one really grew on me and I prefer that one, but this is nice too," she smiled.

He sniffed and adjusted his tie, before saying, "Thank you, Miss Tyler. Just so you know, I'm not discarding the brown one - just giving it a small break. Now, back to the rain-"

His sentence finished with a loud thud and an _oomph_ as the building shook violently, sending them to the floor. They both grabbed for each other as they were grounded. Once the shaking stopped, the Doctor helped Rose to her feet.

"What the _hell_ was that?" she asked, smoothing her clothes.

"We've moved," he said, his face hardening as he gazed out of the window.

"Moved where?" Rose followed his gaze and gasped in shock at the scene. "We're on the…_moon_?"

He nodded once. "Appears so," he turned his gaze back to her, "You all right?"

"Yeah…but we're on the _moon."_

"And you're still not dressed fully," he commented lightly pointing to her bare feet.

She snorted as she sat back on the bed and pulled on her trainers. As she dressed they heard Jones telling everyone to return to their beds and stay in their rooms during this emergency.

Rose snorted again and the Doctor chuckled. They were never the type to abide by rules.

They heard footsteps come into their room. "It's real," the voice was that of one of the med students from earlier. She crossed to the other side and must have stood at the window. "It's really real. Hold on!"

"Don't!" said another student, "We'll lose all the air!"

Rose peeked out of a small slit in the curtain and saw one of the med students panicking by the window and Jones approaching her. "But they're not exactly air tight. If the air was going to get sucked out it would have happened straight away, but it didn't. So how come?"

The Doctor shared a glance with Rose before pulling the curtain aside. "Very good point! Brilliant, in fact. What was your name?"

"Martha."

"And it was Jones, wasn't it?" he asked. She nodded and he and Rose strode over to her. "Well then, Martha Jones, the question is, how are we still breathing?"

"We can't be!" the other student cried.

Rose held out her hands at the woman. "But we obviously are breathing so just calm down, alright?" she said softly.

The Doctor scanned the room. "Martha, what have we got? Is there a balcony on this floor, or a veranda-"

"By the patients' lounge, yeah," she said.

He turned to Rose and offered his hand with a smile. "Fancy going out?"

Rose grinned widely and took his hand. "Do you even have to ask?"

He winked at her before turning back to Martha. "What about you, Martha Jones?"

"Okay," Martha agreed without hesitation.

He arched an eyebrow at her. "We might die," he warned.

"We might not," she retorted.

Rose chuckled softly, "She's good."

The Doctor nodded. "Indeed. Good! Come on. Not her," he pointed at the other student who was still panicking and on the verge of tears, "She'd hold us up."

Rose smacked his arm lightly and gave him a scolding look. She let go of his hand and went over to the woman to calm her down. The Doctor smiled softly at her soothing gestures, and the woman nodded. Like he always said, she never forgot.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Walking down the halls they reached the balcony, both the Doctor and Rose taking a handle and opening the double doors, stepping outside towards the railing with Martha right behind them.

"We've got air!" she said, stunned. "How does that work?"

"Just be glad it does," Rose said, leaning on the railing beside the young student.

"I've got a party tonight. It's my brother's twenty-first. My mother's going to be really...really..." She trailed off, looking at the sight.

Rose placed a hand lightly on her arm. Of course all of this was a lot to take in. It had taken herself some time to accept things like this. "You okay?"

"Yeah," she nodded.

"Sure?" the Doctor asked from behind.

"Yeah," she repeated.

"Want to go back in?" he asked.

"No way," she said without hesitation and a smile. "I mean, we could die any minute, but all the same," she kept her eyes on the scenery, "It's beautiful."

"You think?" the Doctor asked, eyeing her.

"How many people want to go to the moon? And here we are!" She exclaimed.

"Standing in the earthlight," the Doctor said as he stood between the women, wrapping an arm around Rose's waist.

"What do you think happened?" Martha asked.

He turned to face the doctor in training. "What do you think?" he countered, leaning on the railing with his arm not holding Rose, who looked up at him knowing full well that he was testing the woman. It's what he did.

"Extraterrestrial," Martha said. "It's got to be. I don't know, a few years ago that would have sounded mad, but these days? That spaceship flying into Big Ben...Christmas...those Cybermen things." She paused for a moment and took a saddened expression. "I had a cousin - Adeola. She worked at Canary Wharf. She never came home."

"I'm so sorry," Rose said quietly. She hated being reminded of that day, but of course it would always be mentioned. So many people lost so much that day it was unbearable.

"Yeah," Martha said quietly.

"We were there, Rose and I," the Doctor said. "In the battle. It was..." He swallowed hard and tightened his grip on Rose, bringing her closer.

Martha watched the couple. If they were in the battle then they must have lost so much as well. They did say that it was only just them. "I promise you, Mr. and Mrs. Smith we will find a way out," Martha said assuringly. "If we can travel to the moon, then we can travel back. There's got to be a way."

The Doctor turned to her. "Yeah, we're not the Smiths," he admitted. "That's not our real names."

Martha furrowed her brows. "Then who are you?"

Rose released herself from the Doctor's grip to introduce herself properly. "I'm Rose Tyler," she smiled and gave a small wave. "Hello."

"And I'm the Doctor," he said as he stood beside her, his arm back around her waist.

Martha snorted and faced the view again, "Me too, if I can pass my exams," she turned back to them, "What is it then, Doctor Tyler?"

The Doctor shook his head. "Oh, we're not married…"

"Seriously?" Martha didn't believe that. The way they looked at each other Luke they both meant the world to each other. It was kind of obvious they were together.

Rose shrugged her shoulders as the Doctor told her, " And it's just the Doctor."

"How do you mean, 'just the Doctor?'"

"Just…the Doctor," he repeated simply with a little shake of his head, making Rose bite back on a laugh.

"What, people call you the Doctor?" Martha asked.

"Yeah."

Martha shook her head defiantly. "Well, I'm not. As far as I'm concerned, you've got to earn that title."

The Doctor looked at Rose and arched an eyebrow. "Well, I'd better make a start then. Let's have a look." Releasing his arm from Rose's waist he picked up a rock and threw it forward over the balcony, and it bounced back at them. "There's some sort of force field keeping the air in."

"But if that's like a bubble sealing us in, that means this is the only air we've got," Martha said. "What happens when it runs out?"

Rose placed a hand on his forearm and asked Martha, "How many people are in this hospital?"

Martha shook her head. "I don't know, a thousand?"

The Doctor's face hardened. "One thousand people suffocating."

"Why would anyone do that?" Martha asked.

"Heads up!" The Doctor held Rose tight as a group of huge alien ships passed by and landed on the outside of the force field and on the moon. The entrances of the ships opened and out came large figures dressed in black spacesuits with equally large helmets. One by one they marched towards the hospital in am orderly fashion like a military officers. "Ask them yourself."

"Aliens," Martha quietly said watching the creatures, "That's aliens. Real, proper aliens."

"Doctor, what are they?" Rose asked.

The Doctor tightened his grip on her waist as he watched the factions approach the hospital with a dark expression. "Judoon," he growled, "C'mon."

_Apparently these Judoon were bad news,_ Rose thought as the Doctor took her and Martha back inside the hospital. He led them up to the mezzanine level of the hospital lobby and away from the aliens. The largest one, who must have been the Chief, removed its helmet to reveal its head resembling that of a rhinoceros and began to give commands in their language. Large potted plants were perfectly placed in the corner where they crawled over to them and hid, watching from above as the Judoon started to catalogue people with scanners.

As they silently watched, Rose nudged the Doctor and pointed over to the far side corner and whispered, "Doctor, look down there."

His face lit up. "Oh, they've got a little shop. I like a little shop."

"Never mind that," Martha interrupted, "What are Judoon?"

"They're like police. Well, police for hire. They're more like interplanetary thugs," he said with a hint of disgust.

"And they brought us to the moon?"

"Neutral territory. According to galactic law, they've got no jurisdiction over the Earth, and they isolated it. That rain, the lightening? That was them, using an H2O scoop."

"What are you on about, galactic law? Where'd you get that from? If they're police, are we under arrest? Are we trespassing on the moon or something?"

"Well they brought us up here themselves, yeah? It wouldn't be considered trespassing would it?" Rose pointed out.

"No, but I like that. Good thinking, girls," the Doctor said. "I wish it were that simple. They're making a catalogue. That means they're after something non human…" he turned to Rose, "Which is very bad news for us."

"Why?" Martha asked. The Doctor and Rose turned to her and just stared. She gave a nervous chuckle and smiled, "Oh, you're kidding me. Don't be ridiculous." The Doctor arched an eyebrow while Rose pressed her lips together. Her gaze flitted between the two of them, her smile dropping. "Stop looking at me like that."

The Doctor stood and brought Rose with him, grabbing her hand. "Come on then. We need to find what they're looking for before _they_ do."


	7. Smith, Tyler, and Jones Part 2

**A/N: I'll be honest - I'm not too crazy about this episode, so forgive me if it seems a bit off. Still, it's fun to write so enjoy!**

**Many thanks to those who've reviewed, followed, and faved! *virtual hugs* ;)**

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_**Chapter 7: Smith, Tyler, and Jones Part 2**_

Together with Martha following them, they came up to the administrative office. Opening the door, the Doctor turned to Martha, "Wait out here. If the Judoon get close, let us know." When she nodded he put his hand on the small of Rose's back and led her inside and shutting the door behind them.

Immediately the Doctor went over to sit at a computer for investigating the records with the sonic in his hand, Rose following him. "She's pretty good, don't ya reckon?"

"Yeah. She is."

"Seems to accept things rather quickly…sort of."

"Culture shock," he told her before looking up with a grin. "Remember when you were like her?"

Rose rolled her eyes playfully. "How could I forget? A broody man in leather and big ears saving me from a plastic arm that attacked me, then told me he was an alien?" She placed a hand on his shoulder, "Some things you just have to accept."

He winked. "Well, you accepted the TARDIS right off the bat as well, so She grew a liking to you right away."

She chuckled before turning serious at the current situation. "Do you really think they'd catalogue me as non-human?"

His grin faded, turning back to the screen. "Oh yes. Your DNA isn't entirely human anymore, just slightly augmented with stronger particles, which makes you as much alien as myself. Well, not fully but the same principle, and makes us targets of something not related to us."

"What happens if they find us?"

"They execute us," he answered darkly.

Just as Rose was about to say something else, Martha came into the room with them. "They've reached third floor." She noticed the Doctor working on the computer and eyed the sonic. "What's that thing?"

"Sonic screwdriver," Rose answered, as his eyes still fixed on the computer.

"Well, if you're not going to answer me properly," Martha said irritated.

The Doctor turned around. "No, really, it is," he held up the device up to fully show her, "It's a screwdriver, and it's sonic. Look."

Martha came closer to them, "What else have you got, a laser spanner?"

Rose snorted. "Oh, don't get him started."

The Doctor let out a quiet chuckle as he continued to work on the computer. "I did, but it was stolen by Emily Pankhurst, cheeky woman." He suddenly smacked the computer with his hand, making both women jump. "Oh, this computer! The Judoon must have locked it down," he cried as he scrubbed his hand over his mouth and muttered, "Judoon platoon upon the moon."

He suddenly thrust his hands in his hair and started to speak rapidly. "We were just passing through, we were just wandering, I swear. We weren't looking for trouble, honestly. Rose just wanted some chips, that was all, but we noticed these plasma coils around the hospital, and that lightning - that's plasma coils. They've been building up for two days now, so we checked Rose in cos I thought something was going on inside, and it turns out the plasma coils were the Judoon up above," he stopped rambling and lowered his hands from his hair, which was sticking up at all ends.

Rose bit back on a laugh as she watched him ranting. He looked like an absolute madman. If the group of med students and Dr. Stoker who met them earlier didn't think that he may be nuts by what he was talking about, then his appearance right now would most likely confirm their suspicions.

Coming closer behind him she placed her hands on his shoulders, gently massaging his tense muscles. She leaned down to his ear, "Breathe, Doctor, breathe." She felt him relax a little as he let out a sigh.

"But what were they looking for?" Martha asked after his rant.

"Something that looks human, but isn't," the Doctor said, his voice calmer.

"So, like you two."

Rose tilted her head. "Like us, but not us,"

Martha nodded, taking all of this in - the fact that these two strangers were aliens. "Haven't they got a photo?"

"Could be a shape-changer," the Doctor said, still focused on the computer.

"Whatever it is, can't you just leave the Judoon to find it?"

Rose shook her head at her as the Doctor answered. "If they declare the hospital guilty of harboring a fugitive, they'll sentence it to execution."

"All of us?"

"Oh yes," he said, typing on the keyboard, "But if I can find this thing first-" He smacked the computer again. "Oh! Just that they're thick! Judoon are thick! They are completely thick! They wiped the records. Oh, that's clever." His hands found their way back into his crazy hair.

"What are we looking for?" Martha asked.

"I don't know. Any patient admitted in the past week with unusual symptoms." His eyes widened as he tilted the computer around to sonic the back. "Maybe there's a back-up."

"Just keep working," Martha said. "I'll go ask Mr. Stoker, he might know." Before they knew it, she raced out into the hall.

"Martha, wait!" Rose went over to the door to run after her, but the Doctor stopped her by grabbing her arm. She turned to him, "Doctor, we can't let her go by herself, it's not safe."

"Rose, it's not safe for _any_ of us, but she's got a better chance than us," he reasoned. "We can't take that risk, not when it involves you." She was about to protest, but she saw that solemn look in his eyes and nodded. He let go of her arm, "She knows what she's doing, she's good. Let's just stay here and get these records."

Rose was about to protest but accepted it and leaned over his shoulder to peer at the screen. The Doctor could feel the tension radiating from her body as she waved it off. She was definitely not letting it go that easily. He turned his head and placed his forehead against her temple. "I promise we'll get outta here, Rose. I won't let anything happen you," he swore quietly.

She turned until her forehead rested against his own and looked into his eyes. "I know we will. It's what you do best." They smiled at each other before she shifted to kiss his cheek and they continued searching the computer.

A few moments later of investigating and some more of the Doctor abusing the machine, they came across some of the possible suspects the Judoon would be after. "We got it!"

"Not that thick, then?" Rose joked.

"Guess not. Let's find Martha," he grabbed her hand and made it out of the room. Just as they ran into the hall, they bumped into the woman they were looking for. "I've restored the back-up," the Doctor told.

Martha looked frantic. "I found her."

"You did what?" Rose asked, but before she should get an answer, a man dressed head to toe in leather like a motorcycle rider broke down a door down the hall and started running towards them.

Not wasting any time, the Doctor tightened his hold on Rose's hand, along with grabbing Martha's and yelled. "Run!"

They raced through the corridors, turning corners trying to lose the man, but he was close behind. When they turned another corner, a Judoon was at the end of the hall. Well, that way wouldn't work. Spinning back around they ran up another flight of stairs to the next floor and noticed the radiology department. The Doctor pushed both women in the shielded room directly and soniced the main door shut, trapping himself in the X-ray room and standing by a machine and sticking the sonic in a port.

He turned to the women. "When I say 'now', press the button."

Rose looked at Martha, "Which one is it?"

Martha figeted. "I don't know, this isn't my department!"

"Well, find out!" The Doctor shouted.

_Perfect_. She inwardly rolled her eyes as they scanned the room for a manual. Martha found it and flipped through the pages frantically. Rose pointed at a diagram showing which button activated the machine. There!"

Just as she found it, the main door broke down and in stepped the man in leather.

"Now!" the Doctor shouted.

Rose smashed a yellow button on the controls and activated the X-ray machine. It zapped as the man arched his body, his skeleton visible before falling to the floor.

"What did you do?" Martha asked.

The Doctor kept his eyes on the lifeless man on the ground. "Increased the radiation by five thousand percent. Killed him dead."

Rose felt a chill when the Doctor said 'killed.' He never was the type to actually resort to such methods, especially after the war. But that wasn't all that made her shiver inside. She stared at him and trembled. "Doctor…the radiation," she breathed out quietly, bringing her hands to her face. They had promised each other forever, and were finally given the opportunity for it to happen but she wasn't ready for this. She made it through one regeneration, as painful as it was to lose his previous life, and wasn't prepared to lose this one…not now.

The Doctor looked up at Rose with softened eyes before turning to Martha when she asked, "Won't that kill you too?"

He shook his head. "Nah, it's only roentgen radiation. We used to play with roentgen bricks in the nursery. It's safe for you to come out, I've absorbed it all," he twitched his nose and snorted. "All I need to do is expel it," he began hopping in place as the women joined him from the other side. "If I concentrate…" he snorted again, "I can shake the radiation out of my body and into one spot." He twitched again and looked down, "It's in my left shoe," he lifted it off the ground and twirled it. "Here we go, here we go, easy does it…" He kicked his foot out while hopping on one leg. "Out! Out, out, out, out. Out, out! Ah, ah, ah, ah! Itches, itches, itches, itches - Ah! Hold on." He took off his shoe and threw it into the trashcan next to him and looked back up at the women, who just stared. "Done."

Martha just gawked. "You're completely mad."

"You're right. I look daft with one shoe." With that he bent over and pulled off his other shoe and disposed of it with its twin. When he straightened up, he wiggled his eyebrows as well as his toes. "Barefoot on the moon!" He glanced at Rose who was still staring at him and he smiled. "How about you Rose? Wanna give it a try?" Rose stepped forward and smacked his arm. "What was that for?" He cried with a confused expression.

She hit his arm again, syncing her strikes with her words. "You daft, bloody, alien git!"

The Doctor tried to grab hold of her to calm her down. "Okay, okay." She was obviously not thrilled about him absorbing radiation energy again, and he couldn't blame her indifference, except now she was turning into her mother. He grabbed a hold of her upper arms and looked right at her. "I know you're upset and I'm sorry, but I'm fine, Rose." He took her hands and placed them on his chest, proving to her that he was all right. "See. Fully alive," he pulled her to his chest and rubbed her back.

"You could've given me a heads up," she mumbled.

"I'm sorry. Next time I will, okay?"

She nodded and he kissed her forehead, leaving his lips there. She lightly swatted his chest. "Don't you scare me like that again," she scolded, as he grinned against her skin before pulling away to kneel by the body.

Martha stood and stared at them before joining them near the man. "So what is that thing? And where's it from, the planet Zovirax?"

"It's just a Slab, they're called Slabs," he explained. "Basic slave drones," he pointed at the body, "See? Solid leather, all the way through. Someone has got one hell of a fetish." He leaned over to Rose and winked at her, making her giggle. He stood to retrieve his sonic screwdriver from the machine.

The women followed suit, as Martha began to speak up. "But it was that woman, Miss Finnegan. It was working for her, just like a servant."

The Doctor pulled out his sonic and it made a fried noise. "My sonic screwdriver..." he said in disbelief as he eyed it.

Martha continued. "She was one of the patients, but-"

"No, no. My sonic screwdriver," he repeated as Rose moved next to him to inspect the sonic. It was completely burned out.

"-she had a straw like some kind of vampire."

He held it closer to Rose and looked at her sadly. "I loved my sonic screwdriver."

She patted his arm comfortingly. "I know, it was a good sonic."

Martha rolled her eyes. "Doctor!?" she said loudly.

They both turned around, and the Doctor carelessly tossed the tarnished screwdriver over his shoulder. "Sorry." He then smiled. "You called me Doctor."

"So much for attachment," Rose chuckled under her breath.

Martha shook her head at him. "Anyway...Miss Finnegan is the alien. She was drinking Mr. Stoker's blood."

"Funny time for a snack," the Doctor commented.

"You'd think she'd be hiding," Rose added.

The Doctor raised his head and Rose could practically see the gears in his head working hard as his eyes went distant. "Unless…no. Yes, that's it, wait a minute," he paused before exclaiming, "Yes! Shape-changer - internal shape-changer. She wasn't drinking blood, she was assimilating it. If she can assimilate Mr. Stoker's blood, mimic the morphology-"

"-then she can make herself seem human," Rose finished.

"Exactly! We've got to find her and show the Judoon. Come on!"

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Without hesitation the Doctor raced out of the room and into the corridor with the girls following him. He turned a corner and skidded to a stop when he noticed a Slab and turned to the girls and brought them down to hide behind a water cooler.

"That's the thing about Slabs," he said as it walked by, "They always travel in pairs."

"Like you two?" Martha asked.

Rose turned to her and frowned. "What?"

"You said that you weren't married, but you two seem so close. Are you...like, his sidekick? Assistant?"

Rose, still confused, shook her head. "No, we're…together," she answered lamely. Honestly they were, but how can she explain it to others who didn't understand?

"I can tell you're a couple, but you seem…so much more."

"Humans," the Doctor cut in before Rose could reply. "We're stuck on the moon running out of air with Judoon and a bloodsucking criminal, and you're asking personal questions. Come on." He stood up, the girls following.

Martha scoffed as they walked down the corridor. "I like that," she said sarcastically, "'Humans'. I'm still not convinced you're aliens."

The moment they turned a corner they stepped right in front of a Judoon. It held up a scanner to the Doctor's face, shining a blue light. "Nonhuman," it confirmed.

"Oh my God, you really are!" Martha cried.

"Told ya," Rose whispered.

"And again!" the Doctor shouted, grabbing their hands and running down the corridor, avoiding the laser blasts being shot at them from the Judoon.

As they ran up a flight of stairs, the Doctor pushed the girls ahead of him and instinctively reached for his sonic to lock the door behind them, but inwardly cursed when he realized it was fried and thrown away. He locked the door manually before catching up to the girls in the corridor. People were gasping for breath and collapsing to the ground. The oxygen was running out, much like time.

Doing a quick scan of the hall for any Judoon or Slabs, luckily he saw none. "They've done this floor, come on. The Judoon are logical and just a little bit thick. They won't go back to check a floor they've checked already - if we're lucky," he added. They sprinted down to the end of the hall, passing the oxygen starved patients. They recognized the panicked med student from earlier holding an oxygen mask up to help a young girl.

Martha stopped, causing the Doctor and Rose to do the same, as she asked her, "How much oxygen is there?"

"Not enough for all these people," the woman answered breathlessly, "We're going to run out."

The Doctor went over to Martha. "How are you feeling? Are you all right?"

She gave a short laugh and panted a little. "I'm running on adrenaline."

"Welcome to our world," Rose commented with a small smile, trying to catch her breath.

The Doctor turned to her. "How are you doing, you all right?"

Her head was throbbing but she brushed it aside. "Yeah, 'm fine. What about the Judoon?"

"Ah, great big lung reserves. It won't slow them down," he said, before turning back to Martha. "Where's Mr. Stoker's office?"

"It's this way," she said, leading them down the corridor to a room. When she opened the door and entered she gasped softly. "She's gone! She was here."

The Doctor and Rose ran over to Stoker's lifeless body, his skin ashen gray with eyes wide open and distant.

Rose felt sick in her stomach and avoided dry heaving on the spot. "She drained him dry..."

"Every last drop," the Doctor muttered beside her. "I was right. She's a plasmavore."

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They left the room where Mr. Stoker's body lay and went back into the hall, the Doctor beginning to pace frantically.

"Think, think, think. If I was a plasmavore surrounded by police, what would I do?" He turned in a circle and scanned the room for anything that would help and found a sign for the MRI room. "She's as clever as me. Almost."

Rose came next to him. "Meaning?"

"I need time," he said quickly, coming up with a plan. He knew Rose was definitely _not_ going to take any liking to it one bit, but he couldn't risk her safety with the Judoon scanning and looking to execute the 'non-human.' It was the only way and he needed to use Martha. But of course knowing how stubborn his Rose was, she'd never accept hiding away in a cupboard. As much as he hated it, it had to be done. He turned to the young med student and gulped, hopefully not too audibly. "You're going to have to hold them up," he told her.

"How do I do that?"

He flitted his eyes between the two women. _Oh boy_. "Forgive me for this, it's to save a thousand lives, it means nothing," he turned to Rose and reassured her as much as he could. "Honestly, _nothing_."

Rose nodded at him, looking at him oddly…and then he cupped Martha's face and kissed her. _Kissed_ her. She blinked once in shock and that fast he pulled away from the woman and turned to face her. Now he cupped her face and brushed his thumbs over her cheekbones, looking deep in her eyes. "You have to go with Martha and buy some time."

_Say what? _"What? No, I'm-"

"Rose, listen to me, I don't want to risk ourselves any more than we already are, but it's the only way," he said quickly. "Just go with her and be careful. _Please_, Rose."

She shook her head. "Doctor, I'm coming with-"

He cut her off by pressing his lips to hers, but it wasn't like the quick and chaste one he had given Martha as a genetic transfer - this was all fierce passion. She couldn't stop herself as she melded against him, placing a hand on his face and another on his back. She parted her lips allowing him access, and of course he submitted by slipping his tongue through, mirroring her position. Neither of them could resist each other's kiss, and they probably never will be able to.

They heard Martha clear her throat behind them, causing them to break their moment. Rose looked up at the Doctor just as he sprinted away through a doorway and down another corridor. She wasn't letting him go alone.

Turning to Martha she was about to tell her but the young student already knew. "Go with him, he needs you even if he won't admit it." Rose shook her head, trying to form any words. "Rose, I'll be fine. I'll figure something out," she pointed towards the door where the Doctor left. "Go!"

"I'm sorry, we'll be back for you," she called as she ran after the Doctor.

Martha smiled lightly as the blonde ran off. She brushed off that random kiss she had received from the Doctor and focused on her part in all of this. However, she couldn't stop herself from saying, after witnessing that intense snog between those two, "Not married, my right."

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Blimey, he got carried away. Of course that was to be expected whenever the opportunity to kiss one Rose Tyler was on the table - which was _always._ But now there was less time to expose this Miss Finnegan to the Judoon, and he had a plan. It wasn't the brightest and smartest plan he's ever had - though that seems to be the case with _most_ of his plans anyway - but he knew it would definitely work.

_Hopefully._

He knew the moment he'd tell Rose about what he was going to do exactly that she'd probably slap him silly, which was why he advised her to stay with Martha. That wasn't really what he wanted, he'd actually prefer Rose hiding in a cupboard safe from any harm, but this is _Rose_ he's talking about. She had disapproved when he told her to go with the young med student, and was pretty lineant to rather going with him. But she was safer with Martha, so he felt a little more at ease.

Finally the Doctor made it to the MRI room. Peeking in he saw a woman standing alone facing a large machine. From this angle she looked to be figeting with her fingers. This had to be her. Now time to act - literally.

Busting in the room he immediately got her attention as she turned away from the large machine. Putting on his best shocked and exasperated expression he began to perform his facade. "Have you seen - there are these _things,_ those great big space rhino things, I mean rhinos from space. And we're on the moon!" He gestured wildly. "Great big space rhinos with guns on the moon. And I only came in for my bunions, look," he looked down at his feet and wiggled his toes at her, "They're all right now, perfectly good treatment, but then we end up on the moon. And did I mention the rhinos?"

The woman just eyed him and shouted, "Hold him!"

With a confused look he turned around and was greeted with a Slab walking in, grabbing his arms and holding them against his back.

He turned back to face Finnegan and swallowed hard. A loud whirring sound filled the room. "That thing, that big machine thing," he nodded his head towards the object, "Is it supposed to be making that noise?"

She shook her head and waved him off. "You wouldn't understand."

"Isn't that a magnetic resonance imaging thing? Like a ginormous sort of a magnet? I did magnets at GCSE - well, I failed, but all the same."

Finnegan looked somewhat impressed. "The magnetic setting is now set to 50,000 Tesla."

"Ooh, that's a bit strong, isn't it?"

"I can send out a magnetic pulse that will fry the brainstems of every living thing within 250,000 miles," she grinned, "Except me, safe in this room."

The Doctor furrowed his brows. "But hold on, hold on, I did geography for GCSE - I did pass that one - doesn't that distance include Earth?"

"Only the side facing the moon. The other half will survive. Call it my little gift."

"I'm sorry, you'll have to forgive me, I'm a little out of my depth. I've spent the past fifteen years working as a postman, hence the bunions," he indicated his feet again before asking, "Why would you do that?"

"With everyone dead the Judoon ships will be mine, to make my escape," Finnegan answered.

The Doctor let out a chuckle. "Now, that's weird. You're talking like you're some sort of an alien."

She grinned widely. "Right-o."

His eyes widened, and his smile dropped to disbelief. "No!"

"Oh, yes."

"You're joshing me."

"I am not," she assured.

A wide smile spread on his face. "I'm talking to an alien? In a hospital? What, has the place got an E.T. department?"

"It's the perfect hiding place," she said. "Blood banks downstairs for a midnight feast, and all this equipment I'm ready to arm myself with should the police come looking."

"So, those rhinos, they're looking for you?" he asked, still going along with the act.

"Yes, but I'm hidden," she said confidently.

"Oh. Right! Maybe that's why they're increasing their scans."

Her confidence faded into fear. "They're doing what?"

"My wife, my brilliant, beautiful wife, said the big chief rhino boy - that he said - ' No sign of a non-human, we must increase our scans…up to setting two?'"

The Doctor could sense her panic and inwardly grinned. However he knew what part of his plan was coming - the part that Rose would highly disagree with. "Then I must assimilate again," Finnegan replied.

"What does that mean?"

"I must appear to be human."

"Well, you're welcome to come home," he chirped, "My wife could cook us up some dinner, she'd be honored. We can have cake! She makes fantastic banana cake, with these edible ball bearings and-"

"Why should I have cake?" Finnegan cut in, pulling out a straw from her purse, "I've got my little straw."

"That's nice. Milkshake? I like banana."

"You're quite the funny man. And yet, I think, laughing on purpose at the darkness. I think it's time you found some peace," she looked up at the Slab, "Steady him!"

The slave drone did as told and held him tighter. He knew what would happen next but asked anyway, "What are you doing?"

Finnegan approached him with her straw in the air. "I'm afraid this is going to hurt. But if it's any consolation, the dead don't tend to remember."

She poked the straw into his neck and began to slurp.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**Random note: In case anyone has Netflix and you binge watch DW on it, you'll have to overdo it now - Netflix is taking DW _off_ as of January 31st! But you can sign a petition to try to keep it on! I already have, so if you want to take part in it just ask me, I'll send the link. **

**On another note, hope you enjoyed this chapter! :)**


	8. Smith, Tyler, and Jones Part 3

**A/N: I'm glad you're all happy about Martha knowing the Doctor isn't available ;) Also, to those who have signed that petition: *virtual high five* Hopefully Netflix can renegotiate the contract and keep DW on.**

**This episode seemed to be a breeze lol it went by really fast! Well, that's beneficial for all you guys, right? :)**

**As always, many thanks to everyone viewing the story! You're all amazing people, and I love hearing from you all! n_n**

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_**Chapter 8: Smith, Tyler, and Jones Part 3**_

Rose ran as fast as her legs could handle, ignoring the burning not only in them, but also in her head along with the slight dizziness. She whipped her head around the corridor and peeked her head into every room she passed. Obviously the Doctor had told her he wasn't going to risk her life, but that was chucked away the moment they stepped foot in this hospital.

Actually her life's been a whirlwind ever since she met that madman in the blue box - the love of her life.

But right now she was furious at him. Not because he briefly kissed Martha - though she was a bit annoyed by that, though she knew the Doctor was committed to herself and _only_ her. Besides he did it to save some time with the Judoon. The main reason she was angry was that he left her aside. Granted, he always did things that were best for her own safety and she couldn't be more grateful that he cares about her, but she wasn't weak. If she had to fight then she would do so. She was a woman who can make her own decisions, and if she wanted to go with him then there shouldn't be an issue. Dangerous or not, he shouldn't have to go in alone.

She remembered the Doctor looking around the corridor and catching sight of a particular sign for the MRI room, so that must be where he was as well as the Finnegan woman. Rose found the room but stopped to peek through the door to be sure. She couldn't see much but she noticed a woman leaning over and a Slab holding someone. She inwardly gasped when she saw a certain pair of bare feet and the cuffs of blue trousers. She was drinking his blood! Then she realized what his plan was: he was getting her to drink his blood so she would easily get caught by the Judoon.

Now she knew why he didn't mention his plan. He was sacrificing himself. Without hesitation she burst through the door and shouted, "Get away from him!"

The woman glanced up at her but slurped faster through her straw. "Rose," she heard the Doctor's voice speak. He sounded firm but was weakening. "What the hell are you doing here?!"

"Saving you from being a living Slurpee!" She screamed as she ran over to him.

"Grab her!" Finnegan ordered before returning to drinking his blood.

Another Slab came out from the darkness and grabbed a hold of her just as she made it to him, but she fought against the mindless drone. "No, get off!"

"Leave her alone," the Doctor croaked, as he was weakening more and more. How much of his blood would she have to take to be catalogued as an alien? She hoped it wasn't much because he was getting paler by the minute.

Fighting against the Slab Rose kneed the drone in the midsection, making them stumble. She connected again, this time causing them to fall to the ground, the dizziness in her head increasing. Scrambling up to her feet, she felt a hand grab her ankle and force her back down. "I said…get _off!"_ Using her other leg, Rose kicked the Slab straight in the face - or where its face would be under the helmet - knocking it against the wall before slumping to the floor.

Feeling a little triumphant she turned around and any feeling of relief she just gained was chucked away. The Doctor was ashen and fading fast, his eyes barely open. "No! Stop it" With a surge of strength she launched off of the floor and tackled the Slab holding the Doctor. She fought against the steel grip it had on his arms, but wasn't getting anywhere. She kneed the drone in the midsection twice before hitting it right between the legs.

As it stumbled in front of her, in a flash she was caught off guard when Finnegan punched her jaw hard, causing her to fall and hit her head against the floor. She saw a sudden flash and then spots behind her eyes. Some muffled sounds buzzed in her ears, one of them sounding like someone calling her name. Her hearing started to come back slowly.

"Confirmation: Deceased," said a Judoon.

In a flash her eyes opened and what she saw tore her heart up. The Doctor lay motionless on the ground, his skin horribly pale. "NOOO!" She crawled over to him fighting the whirling sensation in her head and touched his face. He always felt cold because of his physiology, except now he was worse, his skin clammy. But what ached her more was when she placed both hands on his chest over both of his hearts - the double beat was silent, and she was sure that she heard her own break. His lips were slightly parted but no breath came through them. He couldn't be gone, he just couldn't!

She began to shake his body weakly as she started to succumb to the oxygen starvation, but that wasn't her main concern right now. All she wanted was the Doctor back. She was so distracted by his lifeless body that she hadn't noticed Martha fighting her way from the Judoon.

"No, he can't be. Let me through, let me see him," she cried.

"Stop. Case closed," the Chief Judoon told.

"But it was her," Martha screamed as she pointed at Finnegan, "She killed him. She did it. She murdered him!"

"Judoon have no authority over human crime."

"But she's not human!"

Finnegan held up her hand and spoke calmly with confidence. "Oh, but I am. I've been catalogued," she held up her hand and showed the 'X' mark in black ink to confirm.

Rose lifted her head, her tears stinging her eyes as she glared at the woman. "Don't act all innocent, I saw you, you drank his blood! You killed him!" Her head was spinning and she felt like she was about to faint.

Martha caught onto what Rose said. "Wait a minute. You drank his blood? The Doctor's blood?" She grabbed one of the Judoon's scanners and pointed it at the woman, who chuckled.

"Oh, I don't mind. Scan all you like," she said nonchalantly.

It beeped and the Judoon confirmed. "Non-human!"

Her smug smile disappeared. "But..._what_?"

"Confirm analysis."

She backed away, holding her hands up innocently. "Oh, but it's a mistake, surely. I'm _human_. I'm as human as they come."

"He gave his life so they'd find you," Martha said with disgust, looking down at a saddened Rose bent over the Doctor, who still wasn't moving.

The Judoon went up to Finnegan. "Confirm. Plasmavore, charged with the crime of murdering the child princess of Patrival Regency Nine."

"Well, she deserved it!" She defended. "Those pink cheeks and those blonde curls and that simpering voice. She was begging for the bite of a plasmavore."

After she confessed, the Judoon executed her and the Slabs. But before she disintegrated wholly Rose heard her scream "Burn with me!" With that the Judoon left but Martha went after them to protest.

Ignoring that Rose returned her attention to the Doctor, her body numb from her nerves. This couldn't be happening. "Don't leave me," she sobbed, as she stroked his face gently but shakily, "We made a promise, a promise of forever and we have the chance now." As he still had no response, her sobs grew worse. What she had thought was a blessing was now only a curse. Their chance was shattered. "Please don't leave me, Doctor, you're all I have left."

She leaned over to flip one of his eyelids up, a few of her teardrops spilling onto his ashen face before she wiped them away. His warm chocolate eyes were cold and lifeless, making her shudder. She bent down to place a trembling watery kiss to his unmoving lips before moving back and taking his head into her lap, staring down at him while stroking his hair as she pleaded, "Come on, _please._ Wake up. Please Doctor, _regenerate!_" She didn't know how much time she had before she would pass out from the lack of air, but she wouldn't stop until the Doctor responded.

Martha suddenly collapsed beside Rose and began performing CPR on him, placing her hands on his chest and breathing in his mouth, but she didn't know one specific difference between him and humans. With a final breath Rose placed his head gently to the ground and reached for one of his hands before breathing out, "Two hearts…" just before passing out beside the Doctor.

Martha immediately began working on both sides of his chest. "Come on, come on," she muttered. Taking in her last breath of air, she opened his mouth and gave it to him. Relief came over her when the Doctor gasped and coughed. He was waking up, but Martha felt herself fading.

"The scanner," she rasped to him, "She did something." That was all she could get out before it was her turn to pass out.

The Doctor turned onto his stomach, his breaths ragged through his nose as he sputtered. He curled his fingers and felt a hand loosely gripping his, and he knew very well who it belonged to. Turning his head he saw the Martha's limp body beside him and then Rose's on the other. That was all the added strength he needed. He brought her hand up to place a kiss to it and settled it down.

Standing up on wobbly legs he went over to the machine in the corner and disconnected it, causing it to spark. Staggering back over to the girls he fell to his knees and brushed Martha's hair back and kept his hand there for a moment. This poor woman. She was just a regular med student but she proved to be very brave. He was going to come back for her, but right now he needed to check on his beloved. Crawling over to Rose he bent down to take her into his arms and stood up shakily. He walked down the hall carrying Rose's limp form and stood by one of the large windows displaying the view of the moon.

"Come on, come on, come on, come on, please," he muttered. "Come on, Judoon, reverse it." A weak smile spread on his face as he saw it begin to rain. He took his gaze away from the outside and looked down at his Rose. "It's raining on the moon, Rose," he said quietly. She went through so much trouble to save him, just like every other time. Even when he advised her not to come she was being her brilliant, stubborn self and followed him anyway. He bent down and placed a soft kiss to her forehead. "Let's get you outta here."

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Rose gasped and sat upright too fast, causing her heart to pound and her head to spin again. She was completely disoriented and had no idea where she was. The last thing she remembered was Martha trying to revive the Doctor - _Oh, my God, the Doctor!_

Just as she whipped her head around she was greeted with a familiar face and warm chocolate eyes of the man kneeling beside her with a hand pressed to her cheek. "Hey, hey, it's okay. You're safe, Rose." Oh, his voice - his normal, beautiful voice!

Letting out a squeal she threw her arms around his neck and held him tight, not wanting to let go as if it were a dream, but the double rhythm of hearts against her chest proved otherwise. She realized they were back on the TARDIS, more specifically the console room as She hummed in her mind and that she was seated on the jump seat. "You-you're…you're alive!" She choked out, smiling as she buried her face in his neck.

He rubbed her back and rocked her gently as he lifted her up to take her spot on the jump seat, placing her in his lap and holding her close. He whispered in her ear, "I'm here, it's okay. I'll always come back to you, remember?"

She chuckled as she pulled back to kiss him firmly on the lips, smiling against them. Unlike earlier, he responded to her touch immediately and she soared. He was alive, and she felt like she was floating. Breaking the kiss, Rose gazed into his eyes now full of life and laughed before turning serious. "I'm still angry with you, you know,' she poked his chest.

The Doctor sighed and nodded. "I know, I know, I'm sorry I didn't give you a heads up…_again_."

"What the _hell_ were you thinking?" She asked swatting his chest, not too forceful.

"Yes, it was dangerous and daft, but it was all I could think of at the time," he crossed his brows at her. "What about you? I told you to go with Martha, and yet you defied me anyway."

Rose shrugged. "Like in was gonna let you deal with some vampire alien all by yourself? No, ta." She took a deep breath through her nose before saying in a small voice, "You were dead, Doctor. Both of your hearts stopped beating."

He averted her gaze and sighed. He opened his mouth to speak but shut it. What could he say? She had every right to be angry at him for doing something so idiotic and risky. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I'm so, so sorry."

The sight of his lifeless body was burned into her memory, and would never leave. While she was furious at him and wanted to slap him for doing such a drastic tactic, she was still grateful that he was still here with her.

"Doctor, I know you do things out of instinct just to protect me, and I respect you for that, but I'm a grown woman. I can make my own choices - like when I chose to be with you forever. Don't do anything like _that_ again, please? I know you did it do save everyone - that's what you do, save people - but should another situation like this were to ever happen again, please find another way."

He lifted his eyes back to hers and nodded. "Believe me, I know how strong you are, Rose, it's just that…I didn't want to lose you again. Ever since Noel it seems as if the universe is doing its worst to separate us even more, and…it scares me."

"But for a few moments, _I_ lost _you,"_ she shot back quietly, "It scares me too, but if the universe is trying to split us up then why would they give us the gift of forever?" She rubbed his sideburn. "Like I told you before - they can throw whatever they want at us, but we manage to make it through _together." _When he smiled at her she lowered his head to kiss him between the eyes. Her eyes widened. "Oh, my God Martha! Is she okay?"

"She's fine," he assured. "I checked on her after I brought you back here. She asked about you and I told her that you were resting and regaining your energy," he smirked, "You have a reputation for sleeping entirely too much, you know. Even when I told you that your cycle can be pushed back like mine, you still hibernate."

Rose chuckled and played with the tiny hairs at the nape of his neck. "Very funny. I'm guessing she asked you about that kiss, right?"

The Doctor swallowed and shook his head. _"That_ was only a genetic transfer - nothing more, nothing less. But to answer your question, no, she brushed it off like it was nothing - which it _was,"_ he stressed.

"I know, Doctor," she said with a reassuring smile. "As annoying as it was to see that, you did it to save time."

"Apparently not that much since I immediately got distracted by you," he joked, arching an eyebrow at her, "And for the record, I assure you that most certainly was _not_ a genetic transfer." He brushed the backs of two fingers down her cheek, "It would _never_ be like that with you. Always _more."_

She lowered her head and sighed. "Yeah…"

The Doctor moved his hand to her chin and tilted her face back up to him. "What is it?" he asked softly.

She shook her head. "Martha was the one who saved you, not me. All I did was cry and got dizzy. I didn't think to do anything else," she averted her gaze, "I'm worthless."

"Don't you dare say that," the Doctor scolded. "Don't you _ever_ belittle yourself into thinking you never help, because you _do_." He moved his hand hand to the side of her face and brushed back a strand of hair behind her ear. "Rose Tyler, you do so much and you don't even realize it. I thought I made that clear back on Noel," he said with a chuckle, "All day you've been clever, and smart, and utterly brilliant - just as you always are every day. Not to mention you actually fought off two Slabs to save me - which I'm still a little upset about because that wasn't safe-"

"Excuse me, but I wasn't the one who sacrificed their body and was getting their blood sucked by some vampire alien and didn't even give their companion any warning," she retorted.

He nodded. "Yes, yes I know."

"I thought you'd be more upset that I actually used violence against them."

"No, I'm not upset about that." She arched an eyebrow at him. "Not a lot. I was more upset that you were putting yourself in greater danger. Still, you did what you had to, and you helped yourself out."

"We both went a little over the top, didn't we?"

He chuckled. "I suppose. Let's just call it even, then?"

She tilted her head thoughtfully. "Hm. I dunno." Looking back on both of their actions it was clear that they both defied each other just to save the other person, so it seemed even enough. "I guess so."

The Doctor smiled. "Anyway, like I was saying - though I specifically told you not to come with me, you went ahead and came anyway. You saved my life _again_, just as you do every day in so many ways."

Rose smiled and lowered one of her hands to his chest between his hearts, his fully alive hearts. "It's what we do, yeah? Look out for each other." He nodded once before she pulled him for another kiss. When they broke apart, Rose studied him. "I think we should offer Martha a trip, just to say thanks. I mean, she deserves it."

"Couldn't agree more," he said. "But before that, I need to make a new screwdriver."

Rose giggled. "Can't have you without one. You know you're useless without it," she teased.

"Maybe. I'm useless without a few things, I think," he added quietly.

She brought her hand up and stroked his sideburn. "Like what?"

He smiled and traced her bottom lip with his thumb. "Oh, you know."

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"Ah, there we go!" The Doctor exclaimed holding up his new sonic screwdriver.

Rose just came from taking a well deserved hot shower and moved to stand next to him at the console, studying the sonic. "It looks exactly the same."

"Yep!"

_"New,_ new sonic, then?"

"Oh, yes!" He pocketed it and put in the coordinates for a London alley and pulled the lever. Once they landed they ran down the ramp, the Doctor grabbing his coat from the coral strut, and headed outside.

Rose also admired that he had put the brown suit back on. The blue one definitely worked for him, too - though she thought he could make _anything_ look good - she had a personal liking to the brown with pinstripes.

They rounded the corner of the alley and leaned against the building. On the other side of the road they watched Martha's family bickering. "How cheery," Rose commented.

"Quality family time," he muttered. Judging by the looks of them, they made Jackie Tyler seem like a shy lady, and that's saying something.

They finally got Martha's attention as she saw them by the alley. Both smiling at her, the turned around to walk back to the TARDIS and leaned against the doors, waiting for her to follow.

When Martha caught up to them she grinned at the sight of the two of them happy and themselves, the Doctor with an arm wrapped around Rose's shoulders. "I went to the moon today," she said.

"A bit more peaceful than down here," the Doctor told her.

"You never even told me who you are."

"The Doctor and Rose Tyler," Rose answered with a smile.

"What sort of species? It's not every day I get to ask that," Martha said with a grin.

"Well, Rose is human - weeell not _fully_ anymore, she's slightly more than average, and I'm a Time Lord." He said.

Martha laughed. "Right! Not pompous at all, then."

The Doctor nodded and looked down at Rose for a second before addressing Martha. "Rose and I just thought that since you saved my life and I've got a brand new sonic screwdriver which needs road testing," he reached in his pocket and held the device in his opposite hand, "That you might fancy a trip," he offered softly.

"What, into space?"

Rose nodded. "Well, if you'd like."

Martha shook her head. "But I can't, I've got exams. I've got things to do. I have to go into town first thing and pay the rent, I've got my family going mad!"

Rose leaned into the Doctor's side, crossing her arms over her chest. "If it helps you at all, we can also travel in time."

Martha widened her eyes. She may have seen a lot of stuff today out of the ordinary, but they had to be kidding now. "Get out of here!"

"We can!" The Doctor nodded. "We can prove it!" He pushed back on the TARDIS door and pulled Rose inside.

"What are we doing?" she asked when they went up to the console.

"Remember when we first met Martha and she told us that she had seen us outside that morning?"

"Oh yeah!"

"Well, that's where we're going," he smiled.

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The Doctor landed the TARDIS off in another alley just by the chippy not far from the Royal Hope Hospital. He told her to be quick so they wouldn't miss Martha.

Rose did as told and bought a carton of chips and met up with the Doctor as they walked on the crowded sidewalk. In the middle was a small opening and they saw the young med student.

Walking up to her, the Doctor loosened his tie and held it up to the woman. "Like so," he said.

Martha eyed him cautiously and Rose almost laughed. "I'm sorry?"

Rose smiled and offered the confused woman a chip. "Want a chip?"

She looked at her the same way. "Um, no thanks."

Shrugging, Rose popped the chip in her mouth and walked away with the Doctor, leaving behind a confused Martha. Once they were out of her view they ran back to the TARDIS giggling.

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Martha stood in the alley watching in awe as the blue police box disappeared and then reappeared a moment later. Rose came out first with a carton of hot, steaming chips and munched on one while the Doctor followed as he readjusted his tie.

"Told you," the Doctor said with a smug smile.

"No, but, that was this morning. Did you?" _Yes, they did!_ "Oh, my God, you can travel in time!" Martha chirped as they smiled at her. She turned serious for a moment. "But hold on, if you could see me this morning, why didn't you tell me not to go in to work?"

"Crossing into established events is strictly forbidden," the Doctor explained, smiling softly, "Except for cheap tricks."

"And," she nodded at the blue box, "That's your spaceship?"

"It's called the TARDIS," Rose said, turning around to stroke its side. "That's 'Time and Relative Dimension in Space.'" The Doctor smiled proudly and slipped his arm around her shoulders.

Martha stepped closer and placed a hand on the side. "Your spaceship's made of wood. There's not much room. Wouldn't we be a bit…intimate," she said, arching a brow.

The Doctor waggled his eyebrows at Rose and leaned over to whisper in her ear, "I love this bit," before turning back to Martha, "Take a look." He stood aside to let the woman in. Rose counted the seconds on her fingers until she came back out.

"No, no, no. But it's…just a box. But it's huge!"

She ran back inside and Rose whispered to the Doctor, "Did I look like that?"

"Oh yes," he grinned.

They followed Martha as she stood up the ramp glancing around the console room. "It's like a box with that room just rammed in." The Doctor watched her and mouthed along with her next words "It's…bigger on the inside."

"Is it? I hadn't noticed," he said, causing Rose to giggle as she ran up to the console. He moved back to shut the door and threw his coat on the coral strut and walking by the bemused woman to join Rose. "Right then, let's get going."

Martha still looked around shocked by the size. "But is there a crew, like a navigator and stuff? Where is everyone?"

"Well, sometimes we have guests, I mean, some friends, traveling alongside," he said, "But it's just us now. Better that way," he glanced at Rose as she nudged his shoulder. "Well, then," he went over to operate the console, "Close down the gravitic anomaliser, fire up the helmic regulator. And finally, the hand brake," he held onto it and looked up at Martha with a smirk, "Ready?"

She smiled. "No!"

Rose held onto the console. "Hold on tight!"

"Off we go!" The Doctor pulled the lever sending the TARDIS off a jolt, the three of them gripping the console.

"Blimey, it's a bit bumpy," Martha commented.

Rose laughed, "Usually always is."

The Doctor grinned and held out his hand to Martha. "Welcome aboard, Miss Jones."

She took his hand and said, "It's my pleasure, Mr. and Mrs. Smith."

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**Aw yeah, one of my favorite episodes is next and I can't wait to write it! xD As always reviews are lovely, so feel free to drop one. :)**


	9. The Shakespeare Code Part 1

**A/N: YES! I love this episode, definitely one of my favorites from series 3 xD Thanks, as always, to the lovely reviewers, followers and…favers? Is that a proper word? Oh well, just now that I adore you all! :D**

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_**Chapter 9: The Shakespeare Code Part 1**_

Gripping onto the console with all of her might, Martha still couldn't wrap her head around the fact that time travel was possible. And this…box, this ship, was just impossibly bigger on the inside. She wanted to pinch herself to check to see if this was all a dream but she didn't dare to try.

"But how do you travel in time?" she asked. "What makes it go?"

"Oh, let's take the fun and mystery out of everything," the Doctor said, holding onto the console and not taking his eyes off of it. "Martha, you don't wanna know, it just does."

"Yeah, you'll be stuck with an extremely long lecture that'll only confuse you, especially if he's telling it," Rose joked from the other side.

The Doctor shot her a look before yelling, "Hold on tight!"

Another jolt from the TARDIS sent Rose against the railing and Martha to the floor while the Doctor stumbled down the ramp and away from the console. Once She landed he ran over to the strut and grabbed his coat along with girls'.

Rose moved over to Martha and helped her to her feet. "You okay?"

"Blimey!" she said as she stood and brushed off her clothes. "Do you have to pass a test to fly this thing?"

"Yes, and I failed," the Doctor answered as he threw on his coat.

Rose scoffed. "That explains a lot."

"Oi!"

"What, it doesn't?" She moved down the ramp towards him and arched an eyebrow.

"Mocking my driving skills again, Rose Tyler?" He pointed an accusing finger at her, "That's very rude of you."

"You have room to talk, Mr. Rude and Not Ginger."

He huffed and turned to the door and threw them their coats while Martha chuckled at them. "You two are something else."

"That's us," the Doctor said, "Now, make the most of it. I promised you one trip and one trip only. Outside this door… a brave new world."

"Where are we?"

He nodded at the door and smirked. "Take a look." She hesitated, not knowing what was outside those doors.

"Go on," Rose encouraged lightly, nudging her shoulder.

Smiling at them Martha walked outside with Rose following, stopping after a few steps from the door. She looked at her surroundings at what seemed to look like old London, _very_ old, rather. The streets were narrow dirt paths with houses and structures made of wood. "Oh, you are kidding me. You are so kidding me." She gazed in awe at everything. She just travelled in time!

"Oh, my God! We did it. We travelled in time," she exclaimed as Rose joined her. "Where are we? No, sorry. I gotta get used to this whole new language. _When_ are we?"

Rose looked up and saw someone from above shouting and ready to dump a bucket right where they were standing. Grabbing Martha by the arms she pulled her back just as the man dumped the bucket on their spot.

Rose twisted her face in disgust at what was in the bucket. "Somewhere before the invention of the toilet. Lovely."

"Yeah, sorry about that," the Doctor said joining them and shutting the door behind him.

"I've seen worse," Martha said with a laugh. "I've worked the late night shift at A&E."

Rose chuckled as the Doctor took her hand and began walking. They stopped and turned to Martha when she asked, "But are we safe? I mean, can we move around and stuff?"

"Of course we can," the Doctor answered. "Why do you ask?"

"It's like in the films. You step on a butterfly, you change the future of the human race."

"Tell you what then, don't step on any butterflies." He turned to continue walking before saying over his shoulder with a frown, "What have butterflies ever done to you?"

Rose swatted his arm lightly and turned to Martha. "You'll be fine. It's not really like the movies, it's more complicated. But still, you're safe. Just don't get involved in major events."

The Doctor snorted and nudged her shoulder. "Oh! So, is that what we've been doing wrong?" Rose smiled and patted his arm.

Martha chuckled at them before asking, "What if, I don't know…what if I kill my grandfather?" It wasn't much of a serious question, but she wanted to say it anyway.

"Are you planning to?" the Doctor asked, arching an eyebrow.

"No."

The Doctor tilted his head and continued walking with Rose. "Well, then."

Catching up with then, she asked, "And this is London?"

"I think so. 'Round about 1599."

Something suddenly came to her when he answered. "Oh, but hold on, am I all right? I'm not going to get carted off as a slave, am I?"

The Doctor turned with a confused expression. "Why would they do that?"

She gestured at her face. "Not exactly white, in case you haven't noticed."

"I'm not even human," he said with a shrug. "Just walk about like you own the place, works for me - well, I should say _us,"_ he winked over at Rose.

"Doctor, what about the way Martha and I are dressed?" Rose asked before adding jokingly, "We're not going to be taken aside for being 'naked,' are we?"

The Doctor chuckled. "Nah. Those were different times, Rose. Besides that was Scotland in 1879, this is Elizabethan England. You'd be surprised, it's not so different from your time. Look over there," he pointed over to a man shoveling manure, "They've got recycling," he then gestured at two men talking by a water barrel. "Water cooler moment."

As they walked they passed an old man shouting, "…and the world will be consumed by flame!"

Rose snorted at how true his remark would be. "Tell me about it," she mumbled.

The Doctor smirked. "Global warming. Oh, yes, and entertainment. Popular entertainment for the masses. If I'm right, we're just down the river by Southwark, right next to-" with Rose's hand in his left he grabbed Martha's with his right and dashed around the corner, stopping when he saw the very thing he wanted them to see and let go of their hands. "Oh, yes, the Globe Theatre! Brand new, just opened. Though, strictly speaking, it's not a globe, it's a tetradecagon - fourteen sides," he brought them close to him as he added quietly, "Containing the man himself."

Martha shook her head in disbelief. "Whoa. You don't mean...? Is _Shakespeare_ in there?" she asked.

"Oh, yes!" he said, bouncing on his feet enthusiastically. Rose smiled at his happiness. When it came to famous people he was always a fanboy, almost like a kid in a candy store. She couldn't help but remember his joy when they had visited Dickens. He must have an a deep admiration for legendary authors and playwrights.

She looped her arm through his and looked up at him. "Such a fanboy," she said.

He made the happy noise in the back of his throat before holding out his arm for Martha and glanced between the two women. "Miss Tyler, Miss Jones, would you care to accompany me to the theatre?"

Rose smiled widely. "Of course, my Doctor."

Martha grinned and took his arm. "Mr. and Mrs. Smith, I will."

As they began to walk towards the theatre, the smile never left the Doctor's face. "When you get home, you can tell everyone you've seen Shakespeare."

"Then I could get sectioned!" She joked.

The Globe was showing a performance of _Love's Labor's Lost,_ so the Doctor led them inside just as it was finishing. The place was packed with people, which was a little uncomfortable considering the smell, but Martha thought it was still worth it.

Once the show ended the theatre erupted in applause as the actors took their bows. "That's amazing! Just amazing," Martha cried. "It's worth putting up with the smell. And those are men dressed as women, yeah?"

"London never changes," the Doctor replied, making Rose laugh.

"Where's Shakespeare? I wanna see Shakespeare." Pumping her fist in the air, she began to chant, "Author! Author!" She stopped to ask the Doctor, "Do people shout that? Do they shout 'Author'?"

Though she stopped chanting, it was picked up by a man behind them before spreading through the entire crowd.

Looking around, the Doctor raised his brows, "Well…they do now."

"Way to go, Martha," Rose chuckled, giving her a thumbs up from the side.

The crowd cheered even louder when the man himself, William Shakespeare appeared onstage taking a bow and blowing kisses to the audience. Rose smiled at the Doctor's lit up face. _Yep, always such a fanboy._

Martha crossed her eyes at him. "He's a bit different from his portraits," she commented.

"Genius. He's a genius - _the_ genius," the Doctor praised, bringing the girls closer so they could hear him over the wild cheers. "The most human Human that's ever been. Now we're gonna hear him speak. Always, he chooses the best words. New, beautiful, brilliant words."

And those brilliant words said by the man himself: "Ah, shut your big fat mouths!" Shakespeare shouted to the crowd.

The whole crowd cheered loudly again with laughs, except for the Doctor. Rose saw his enthusiasm fade into disappointment, and couldn't stop herself from laughing hysterical. "What a way with words, I like him."

He let out a sigh. "Oh, well." Rose leaned over and patted his arm.

Martha shrugged with a small smile. "You should never meet your heroes."

Shakespeare held up his arms and praised the audience. "You have excellent taste, I'll give you that," he pointed at a man in the middle of the crowd. "Oh, that's a wig!" The crowd laughed again, before he went on. "I know what you're all saying: _Love's Labor's Lost_, that's a funny ending, isn't it? It just stops! Will the boys get the girls? Well, don't get your hose in a tangle, you'll find out soon," the crowd began to chatter, "Yeah, yeah. All in good time. You don't rush a genius." He bowed again and came up pretty quickly albeit…strange. Then he continued, "When? Tomorrow night. The premiere of my brand new play. A sequel, no less, and I call it _Love's Labor's Won!_"

Rose twitched a little inside at that. "Doctor, something doesn't feel right," she whispered to him.

He nodded. "I know, I felt it too."

The crowd began to thin out, so the three of them started to leave. "I'm not an expert, but I've never heard of _Love's Labour's Won_," Martha said.

"Exactly - the lost play," the Doctor explained. "It doesn't exist, only in rumors. It's mentioned in lists of his plays but never ever turns up, and no one knows why."

"Have you got a mini-disc or something? We can tape it. We can flog it, sell it when we get home and make a mint," she suggested.

Both the Doctor and Rose turned to her with serious expressions. He shook his head. "No."

"That would be bad?"

"Yeah."

Rose nodded. "_Very_ bad."

"Well, how come it disappeared in the first place?"

"Well…" he drawled, "I was just going to give you a quick little trip in the TARDIS," he glanced at Rose, who rested her chin on his shoulder and smiling sweetly at him. Oh, it was hard to resist that lovely smile of hers. "But…I suppose we could stay a _bit_ longer."

Rose sensed another mystery and knew without a doubt the Doctor was just aching to solve it. "You know you can't resist investigating, you're far too curious, right Shake?" she teased.

He grinned at her. "You know it, Shiver."

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The Doctor led them to an inn, the Elephant Inn, which happened to be the very one Shakespeare would stay at whenever he was in town. Of course Rose knew how excited the Doctor would be once he was at an arm's length with the legendary playwright.

Walking up the stairs they found room with an open door where Shakespeare sat by a desk and was with two of the actors from the play.

Knocking on the open door, the Doctor smiled. "Hello! Excuse me, I'm not interrupting, am I? Mr. Shakespeare, isn't it?"

"Oh no, no, no, no," Shakespeare shook his head and held his head in his hands. "Who let you in? No autographs. No, you can't have yourself sketched with me. And please don't ask where I get my ideas from. Thanks for the interest. Now be a good boy and shove-" he stopped talking once he noticed Rose and Martha stepping in the room and stand with the Doctor. He gave a small smile at them, "Hey, nonny nonny," he gestured at the seats near the desk, "Sit right down here next to me," he waved off the actors, "You two get sewing on them costumes. Off you go."

Once the actors left, muttering about Shakespeare finding 'new muses,' the girls moved to sit down, the Doctor right between them.

"Sweet ladies," the playwright said with an appreciative look, as he eyed them. "Such unusual clothes. So…fitted."

The Doctor lightly moved his chair a little closer to Rose and she inwardly giggled. Apparently he doesn't appreciate someone else flirting with her - even if it was someone he admired like William Shakespeare himself. He was so loving and protective. She placed a hand on his knee to make him relax.

Martha smiled shyly at the man. "Um, verily, forsooth, egads."

"No…no, don't do that. Don't," the Doctor said softly before turning back to Shakespeare. Reaching in his jacket he pulled out the psychic paper and showed it to the man while wrapping his arm around Rose's shoulders. "I'm Sir Doctor of TARDIS," he nodded at the girls, "This is my wife, Dame Rose, and our companion, Miss Martha Jones."

Shakespeare placed a hand to his chin as he studied the paper. "Interesting, that bit of paper - it's blank."

The Doctor smiled softly. "Oh, that's...very clever," he glanced at Rose, "That proves it. Absolute genius."

Martha looked at the paper, confused. "No, it says so right there," she pointed at it and read the words written on it, "Sir Doctor, Dame Rose, and Martha Jones. It says so."

"And I say it's blank," Shakespeare insisted with a smile.

"Psychic paper," the Doctor told her, closing it and putting it away. "Um, long story. Oh, I hate starting from scratch."

Rose leaned over to Martha and said quietly, "It basically shows someone what you want them to see." Martha nodded and the Doctor smiled at her when she leaned back, putting his arm back around her.

Shakespeare looked thoughtful. "Psychic? Never heard that before and words are my trade." He leaned back and flitted his eyes between the Doctor and Rose. "Who are you two exactly? More's the point, who is your delicious blackamoor lady?" He asked leaning up to look at Martha

"What did you say?" she said shocked.

"Oops. Isn't that a word we use nowadays? An Ethiop girl? A swarth? A Queen of Afric…?"

She laughed lightly and turned to the Doctor and Rose. "I can't believe I'm hearing this."

The Doctor rubbed his eye with his finger. "It's political correctness gone mad. Uh, Martha's from a far-off land. Freedonia."

A loud voice called from the outside before coming into the room. "Excuse me! Hold hard a moment." They turned to see a large man standing by the door. "This is abominable behavior. A new play with no warning? I demand to see a script, Mr. Shakespeare. As Master of the Revels, every new script must be registered at my office and examined by me before it can be performed."

"Tomorrow morning, first thing, I'll send it round," Shakespeare mumbled annoyed.

"I don't work to your schedule, you work to mine. The script, now!"

"I can't."

"Then tomorrow's performance is canceled," the man said. "I'm returning to my office for a banning order. If it's the last thing I do, _'Love's Labours Won'_ will never be played." The man walked out of the room as the three travelers turned back to Shakespeare who snorted.

"Lynley. He has a far greater love of power than art," he commented.

"Well, then…mystery solved," Martha said. "That's _Love's Labor's Won_ over and done with. Thought it might be something more, you know...more mysterious." That was a little disappointing.

Rose felt another twitch inside and shivered. The Doctor noticed and squeezed her shoulder comfortingly. She had a bad feeling and she was certain that he could tell. Her uneasy feeling was confirmed when then they heard a scream come from outside. In a flash the Doctor grabbed Rose's hand as they raced out of the room, with Martha and Shakespeare following. Once outside they caught sight of Lynley staggering around a group of bystanders, watching in horror and confusion as the man was coughing up globs of water as he gasped.

"What's wrong with him?" the Doctor asked himself quietly as they approached the man passing through the bystanders. "Leave it to me - I'm a doctor."

Martha caught up with them and rushed to the man's side. "So am I - near enough."

"Oh, God," Rose said. She saw a woman dressed in white trembling in fear. Walking over to her she tried to calm her down, briefly ignoring the twitchy feeling she got once she approached her. "I know this is unusual, but try to relax, okay? We'll find out what's wrong with him."

The woman nodded and visibly shook. "It's…scary. He just started out of nowhere! What if any of us are next?"

"What's your name?"

"Dolly Bailey, I'm the innkeeper," the woman answered.

"Don't be afraid, Dolly," Rose soothed, "Nothing will happen to you. Just keep an eye for anything suspicious, okay? We'll take care of this."

Dolly nodded before running over to Lynley. Rose followed her and knelt beside the Doctor and Martha as they inspected the man's odd situation.

They tried to figure out what to do to help him but the man was helpless as he spit out more water before collapsing to the ground, laying down on his back and clutching his throat. The three of them just knelt by the poor man until his gasps stopped completely.

"He's…dead," Rose quietly said as Lynley became still, water trickling from his mouth.

"What the hell is that?" Martha asked.

The Doctor studied the man with furrowed brows. "I've never seen a death like it. His lungs are full of water - he drowned and then…" he shook his head, "I dunno, like a blow to the heart, an _invisible_ blow." He stared at him for another moment before standing up to his feet and moving over to Dolly. "Good mistress, this poor fellow has died from a sudden imbalance of the humors - a natural if unfortunate demise. Call a constable and have him taken away."

"Yes, sir," she said immediately doing as directed.

"This is unusual," Rose said as the Doctor crouched back down to her over the body. "Do you know what it really is?"

"This lot still have got one foot in the Dark Ages," the Doctor muttered as he shook his head. "If I tell them the truth, they'll panic and think it was witchcraft."

"Okay, what was it then?" Martha asked from the other man's side.

He swallowed and flitted his eyes between the girls. "Witchcraft."

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As they all made their way back to the inn, Dolly came up to them. "I got you a room, Sir Doctor. You, your wife and your companion are just across the landing," she informed.

The Doctor gave her a single nod of thanks while Rose said it aloud. "Thank you, Dolly, and remember what I told you before."

Dolly nodded. "I will. Many thanks, my lady," she turned and exited the room.

The Doctor looked at Rose curiously. "Always helping people in the midst of chaos."

She shrugged. "It's what I do."

He smiled proudly at her and pressed a kiss to her hair just as Martha stood beside them. Shakespeare had come in and sat down at his desk then began to rub his head.

"Poor Lynley. So many strange events. Not least of all," he raised his head and faced Martha with a questioning look. "This land of Freedonia where a woman can be a doctor?"

"Where a woman can do what she likes," she replied.

He turned to the Doctor. "And you, Sir Doctor, how can a man so young have eyes so old?"

"I do a lot of reading," the Doctor answered evenly, making Rose hide her smile.

Shakespeare chuckled and nodded his head. "A trite reply. That's what I'd do," the Doctor gave a lopsided smile before the playwright turned to Rose, "And you, Dame Rose, there is something of the wolf about you. You burn like the Sun, and shine your golden light."

Rose smiled shyly. "Are you afraid of the big Bad Wolf, Shakespeare?" The Doctor held in his laughter at her reply as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and brought her closer to place a kiss to her temple, smiling into her hair as the playwright chuckled at her response.

Martha stood on the side and watched the two of them. Clearly this must have been some kind of inside joke between them, which only led her to become even more confused than she already was. Rose had something of a wolf in her? What exactly did that mean? She also shone gold, whatever that meant. And Shakespeare said something about the Doctor having very old eyes for such a young man. He looked no more than about thirty-five, but as she has recently learned apparently nothing is as it seems. Just added more mysteries to her list involving this enigmatic couple.

"And you?" She was brought out of her thoughts as Shakespeare turned back to her. "You look at them like you're surprised they exist. They're as much of a puzzle to you as they are to me."

She started to feel uncomfortable being put on the spot. "I think we should say goodnight." Martha said to them as she left to go to their room.

"I must work," Shakespeare said, nodding and looking over his papers. "I have a play to complete. But I'll get my answers tomorrow, Doctor, and I'll discover more about you and this constant performance of yours."

The Doctor glanced at Rose for a moment before saying, "All the world's a stage."

Shakespeare raised his head with a thoughtful expression. "Hmm. I might use that. Goodnight, Doctor," he nodded to Rose, "Goodnight, Rose."

She smiled as the Doctor said, "Nighty night, Shakespeare."

"You just had to say that, didn't you?" Rose said once they left the room, holding the hand on his arm around her shoulders.

He shrugged. "Well, how could I resist? Didn't I do similar things when we met Dickens?"

"Oh, you literally fell head over heels with him," she joked.

"Good ol' Charlie boy," he smiled. "And that was a clever answer you gave, by the way, about Bad Wolf."

"I couldn't resist," she giggled, leaning onto his side. "You weren't kidding when you said he was a genius."

"Nope. Though he didn't quite mention something particular about you to me."

"Really? Care to explain?"

"Well, he said you shine, but forgot to mention that you-" he leaned his head on top of hers and nuzzled her hair, "-are my shining star," he added quietly.

Rose laughed. "Oh, God. Doctor, are you _really_ that upset that he didn't mention that?"

"No, but I _am_ upset that he was coming on to you when you're obviously taken," he answered.

She patted his back. "Someone's very protective," she sing-songed.

He chuckled. "Oh, yes."

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As the Doctor and Rose finally entered their room, they weren't surprised to see how small it was - two tiny beds, two small bedside tables with a candle on one of them and large window on the wall.

Martha felt their presence and turned around. "Not exactly five star, is it?"

Rose shrugged as the Doctor observed the room and stood by the window to look outside. "No, but we've shared smaller prison cells than this," she said.

"You've been in _prison?"_ Martha squeaked, trying to hide her nervousness.

"No, no, not like you think," Rose said with a chuckle. "When we go to some places, sometimes we get into trouble, but not the kind that you're thinking of. Some places have very specific and strict rules like trespassing, hand-holding-"

"You two got arrested for _holding hands?"_

"Yeah, we were at…um" she trailed off, and turned to the Doctor, "Where was that, Doctor?"

"Runabla III," he answered, still gazing out of the window.

Rose nodded, facing Martha again. "That's it. They had this silly rule that if you hold hands it means you're off-worlders trying to create some kind of conspiratorial attack or something like that. When they arrested us we assured them that we made no such plans and were only visiting, but they didn't believe us and they threw us in the smallest and worst possible cells."

"Oh, they weren't _that_ bad," the Doctor piped up, turning away from the window. "There's plenty of others that are far worse than those."

"They were lockers, Doctor! We couldn't even _move!_ And we were there for two days. It took me a couple nore days to get the feeling back in my body from standing all that time."

"Well, yes, but at least we weren't tied upside down on a plank above a large tank of higselbucks. Believe me, you don't want that. Now _that_ is the worst - or at least worse than being shoved in a locker for two days."

Martha just stared at the two. So many mysteries, so many questions, so many wonders about this enigmatic couple. "I haven't even got a toothbrush," she commented, trying to get them back to their current stay.

The Doctor raised his brows. "Oh," He patted his jacket pockets and reached for something, pulling out a toothbrush and handing it to her. "Contains Venusian spearmint."

Martha took it and eyed the beds, which were as small as the room in general. "So, who's going where?"

The Doctor waved his hand. "Doesn't matter. You can have one to yourself," he nodded to Rose, "We can manage." He plopped down on the bed closest to the window, laying on his back against the headboard with his hands folded on his stomach and a thoughtful expression on his face. Rose moved to sit by his feet at the edge.

Martha just remained standing as she walked over to their bed. "So, magic and stuff. That's a surprise. It's all a little bit _Harry Potter,"_ she said with a smile.

The Doctor looked at her and grinned. _"Wait_ til you read book seven! Oh, I cried." He pointed to Rose. "But she was worse."

She leaned over to swat his chest playfully. "Me? You were crying like a baby!" She said with a laugh.

Martha chuckled at them before excitedly asking, "But is it real, though? I mean, witches, black magic and all that, it's real?"

The Doctor scoffed. "Course it isn't!"

"Well, how am I supposed to know? I've only just started believing in time travel. Give me a break."

Rose rolled her eyes. "Pay no mind to him, Martha. He has a habit of being rude and he doesn't even realize it." She turned back to him and asked, "What is really, Doctor?"

He shifted to cross his arms behind his head. "Looks like witchcraft, but it isn't. Can't be." He glanced over to Martha who was still standing over them. "Are you going to stand there all night?"

"Oh, um, no," Martha sat down on her bed. "We were talking, so I didn't wanna interrupt you."

Rose waved her hand. "You don't have to worry about that," she gestured at the Doctor, "Like I said, this one's rude, so you don't have to worry about it."

"Oi!" The Doctor cried, nudging her with his foot before turning to Martha, "Get some rest, Martha. We'll be all right."

She looked at the him, confused. "You're not sleeping?"

"Nah, we don't need much sleep," he squinted his eye and looked at Rose, "Although Rose does have a habit of hibernating-"

Rose leaned over and swatted his chest again and he snickered. She gestured at him, "Budge up a bit, you're hogging the whole bed."

"I am not _hogging,_ I'm savorving as much space as possible before you take it all," he threw her a teasing grin before she hit him again.

"I'll push you out and make you sleep on the floor," she threatened with a laugh. Once the Doctor scooted down from the headboard to give her room, Rose turned to Martha, "Good night, Martha."

"Night, you two." She turned to her side and blew out the candle as she laid down to sleep.


	10. The Shakespeare Code Part 2

**A/N: The Doctor and Rose sharing a small bed - what could happen? I just couldn't resist ;)**

**So as it's raining and getting icy here in Philly, I'm sitting around working more on this story. I'll be exceedingly generous to you all and give you this chapter a day early just because I feel like it. Hope you enjoy! **

**Many thanks to all who have reviewed, followed, and faved! You guys light up my day :D**

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_**Chapter 10: The Shakespeare Code Part 2**_

After Martha blew out the candle the room flooded with darkness. It seemed that she was fast asleep on her bed judging by her breathing patterns and light snoring. In the meantime Rose had turned on her side to face the Doctor, who was laying on his back with his eyes to the ceiling before copying her movement and turning on his side on the bed that they were sharing, which was incredibly small as their faces were just inches apart.

If they ended up in a situation like this a year ago, this definitely would have been angsty for the both of them, all of the nervousness of initiating things that might jeopardize their friendship. Thankfully, everything's changed since then, and it was anything but awkward.

Despite being in such close proximity to each other Rose could just barely see the entirety of his face in the pitch blackness of the room. However just behind him was the window which shone the moonlight over his head, a small steak of it crossing the top of his head revealing his glimmering gaze melting into hers. She could easily tell he was smiling by the crinkles appearing in the corner of his left eye. Ever since they started sharing a bed on the TARDIS she's noticed how much more peaceful he seemed, just as she had herself. Between them was so much tranquility and calmness when they held each other in their protective embrace.

Lifting her hand she gently traced over his features in the dim light, starting at his left eyebrow and descending down to his sideburn, his smattering of freckles on his cheek, and his jaw. Her forefinger brushed over his lips and she felt him press a soft kiss to the tip.

Gazing at Rose as she mapped out his facial features, the Doctor was marveled not only by how gentle and soft her touch was, but at the way the moonlight from the window behind him illuminated her face, casting the shadow of himself over her, still making her prominent in the dark. Her signature tongue-in-teeth smile spread across her face, mirroring itself onto his own. How fitting - while he was surrounded by darkness she was always there in front of him shining her angelic glow upon him, brightening him up with every glimmer in her eyes and enlightening smile.

As she brought her hand down from his face and placed it on the bed between them, he raised his own and repeated her motions on her own face equally gentle. When he made it to her lips his thumb traced her bottom one fully, until she kissed the pad before he lowered his hand on the bed to rest over hers.

"What's buzzing around in that big brain of yours?" Rose asked in a whisper, so not to wake up Martha.

"Lots of things, as usual" he answered, "But I'm trying to understand what's going on around here."

She shifted her head a little on her pillow. "What do you think it is if it's not real magic?"

His eyes went back up to the ceiling as he explained his thoughts quietly. "There's such a thing as psychic energy, but a human couldn't channel it like that, not without a generator the size of Taunton and I think we'd have spotted that. No," the Doctor brought his eyes back to Rose and shifted again, moving a hair closer to her until their noses almost bumped. "There's something I'm missing, Rose. Something really close, staring me right in the face and I can't see it." He gave her a lopsided grin and brought his hand back to her face. "And I'm not referring to you, I see _you_ perfectly clear."

Rose smiled softly at him and leaned into his touch as he caressed her cheek. "I don't know for sure, but it definitely ties with Shakespeare and the play. I felt a twitch just at the name _Love's Labour's Won,_ remember? You felt it too, like something…wrong. And right before we ran out of the room when Lynley died, I felt a chill and you sensed that as well. Then it happened again when I went up to calm Dolly, I felt uneasy. Something seems a bit off with all of it, so they've gotta be connected. It's just too unusual."

The Doctor smiled proudly. His brilliant Rose, always pointing out the things he missed, always helping him out. She would never be worthless in his eyes. "This is why I need you, Rose. You always notice the little things," he said, keeping his hand on her cheek, "Always saying the right things."

She brought up her own and mirrored his position before sliding her hand behind his head, gently rubbing the nape of his neck and threw him a teasing grin. "Is that really all I'm good for?"

A chuckle escaped his nose. "Definitely not." He closed what little space was left between them and captured her lips with his own, smiling against them as she let out a content sigh. Her hand came to rest on his cheek as she lightly brushed over his sideburn. The kiss was brief, but once he pulled back it only took another soft yet heated gaze at each other until they slowly came together again like two magnets locking on.

The angle was a little off as their noses were smashed against each other and their teeth clinked, but Rose fixed that by shifting a bit to raise herself up on her forearm to lean over him a little. He hummed in approval and felt her smile against his lips. Not wanting her to strain her neck, the Doctor moved his hand from the back of her head down to her shoulder and pushed her gently down onto the pillow on her back as he hovered over her slightly. He brought his opposite hand up to fully cup her face and angle it just right to deepen the kiss. She happily reciprocated once his tongue glided in and met hers, letting out a soft moan and burying one hand in his hair. He bit back on the low growl that bubbled in his chest and nipped at her upper lip.

Rose fisted his jacket with her opposite hand on his side as she pulled him to lay on top of her fully and he sighed through his nose. Her breath hitched when he brought one of his legs to sling over hers, bringing them closer as she crossed her feet over his calf. Balancing himself on his forearms as they moved their tongues together in languid strokes, he matched their movements with his fingers on her sides. His thumbs peeked under the hem of her shirt and massaged her skin tenderly. Even though they weren't being rough with each other in their movements, the bed proved to be extremely rebellious as it creaked somewhat loudly.

This was definitely _not_ the place to be doing this, given it was such close quarters with their new friend asleep in the bed right next to them, but because of the closeness of themselves sharing the small bed, this was pretty much expected. As they would never take this too far unless they were both ready - which they both knew they _were_, but still worried they moved too fast - they knew that when the time should come for them to take their relationship up to the next level physically and intimately, it would be in the privacy of their room in the TARDIS, their _home, _and it was going to be special, he would make sure of it.

Seeming to be on the same page they simultaneously broke the kiss as the Doctor lowered his forehead on hers while they both caught their breaths. Once his respiratory bypass kicked in he opened his eyes and saw her own boreing into his. It still was overwhelming how this lovely pink and yellow human - well, genetically enhanced human now - could create such an effect on him, a _Time Lord._ No doubt if they were still around they'd definitely look down on him with such disdain for falling in love with her. He grinned at the thought of that. Their love was like the sweetest sin, and he enjoyed every second of it. He _was_ always sort of a rebel.

After a moment they both broke into a short round of quiet, breathless giggles. They both glanced over and were relieved to see Martha still sound asleep and softly snoring. Not that what they were doing was anything too inappropriate - just passionate kissing and very light caressing of skin. Still it would be wrong to do such an activity in front of their new friend. They knew better than that, they just needed to control themselves a little more.

Hopefully.

Carefully rolling off of her and not to disturb Martha with the creaking bed, as well as muttering his indifference to the noisy piece of furniture, the Doctor laid back on his side while Rose turned to face him again. Her lips were slightly swollen and parted as she caught her breath and he almost submitted to her again. _How did she do it?_

Rose moved closer to pillow her head on the Doctor's chest, the double rhythm of his hearts thumping in her ear. She smiled and wrapped her arms around him, snuggling into his warmth. His own came around her as one arm slung over her waist and the other over her shoulder, his hand stroking her hair.

"You really didn't answer my question," she breathed out.

"Do I really have to?" He asked with a smile.

Rose brought a hand to his chest and laid it over his left heart. "No, but you left me guessing other possible answers."

He lifted his head up to look down at her, caressing her scalp with his fingers and appreciating the tingling sensation he felt as he brushed her temple. "Well, you're brilliant at…basically a _lot,_ so to explain every single reason why, then you'd be here for a while."

She lifted her head up to look at his face. "I'm not going anywhere," she replied.

That lovely happy sound she adored so much came from his throat as he nuzzled her hair. "Still though, I have an idea of what exactly might be going on around here, but it's very unlikely…" he trailed off and fell back onto the pillow.

"We'll figure this out, Doctor," she whispered, laying her head back on his chest. "We always do."

A few moments of calm silence followed as they lay together in each other's arms. No doubt the Doctor was pondering possible suspects and whatnot to explain the mysterious incidents occurring. Rose just closed her eyes to listen to the thumping of his hearts, but she suddenly felt another chill shoot down her spine and immediately opened her eyes. Something was wrong again.

Her feelings were once again proven right when the silence was soon disrupted when a loud scream suddenly belted out. In an instant the Doctor and Rose ran to the door with a now fully awake Martha following. Going down the hall they stopped by Shakespeare's room and saw Dolly lying on the floor.

The window behind her was opened, a breeze blowing the thin curtains. Rose ran over to it as the Doctor knelt by the woman on the ground. Martha joined her and they couldn't believe what they saw. In the far distance was a dark silhouette of what looked to be a witch flying on a broomstick cackling.

"Her heart gave out," the Doctor breathed out behind them. "She died of fright."

Rose turned to him, still standing by the window. "Uh, Doctor?"

He lifted his head and got joined the girls by the window. "What? What did you see?"

Martha still gazed out of the window where the witch had been. "A witch."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The three waited until dawn and made their way back to join Shakespeare at his desk and sat. The Doctor leaned back in his chair, propping his head up as he began to think.

"Oh, sweet Dolly Bailey," Shakespeare said sadly. "She sat out three bouts of the plague in this place. We all ran like rats. But what could have scared her so? She had such enormous spirit."

"'Rage, rage against the dying of the light'," the Doctor quoted, eyes distant.

Shakespeare seemed to like the sound of the quote. "I might use that."

He glanced at the playwright. "You can't, it's someone else's."

"But the thing is," Martha spoke up, "Lynley drowned on dry land, Dolly died of fright and they were both connected to you."

Rose nodded. She thought the exact same thing. "Exactly."

Shakespeare was confused as he looked between the two of them with disbelief. "You're accusing me?"

"No, Will, we're not," Rose said calmly. "It's just a weird coincidence how two people connected to you in some way are now gone, that's all."

Martha nodded and gestured between her and Rose. "We saw a witch, big as you like, flying, cackling away, and you've written about witches."

He looked more confused. "I have? When was that?"

The Doctor leaned over to Martha. "Not…not quite yet," he said quietly.

"Peter Streete spoke of witches," Shakespeare mentioned.

"Who's Peter Streete?" Martha asked.

"Our builder. He sketched the plans to the Globe."

"The architect," Rose said quietly.

The Doctor thought about that and glanced at Rose next to him. "Hold on, the architect! The architect!" He exclaimed. "The Globe! Come on!" The Doctor touched Rose's arm as he jumped out of his seat and ran out of the door, the others following.

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As they made it to the Globe theatre Rose admired its structure now that it was daylight. She sat on the stage with her legs dangling over the edge while Martha and Shakespeare stood on it, all of them watching the Doctor as he paced thoughtfully in the pit.

"The columns there, right?" He said pointing up at them. "Fourteen sides."

"Why fourteen?" Rose asked curiously, swaying her feet in the air.

"I've always wondered, but I never asked," the Doctor said before turning to Shakespeare. "Tell me, Will. Why fourteen sides?"

"It was the shape Peter Streete thought best, that's all. Said it carried the sound well," he answered.

"Fourteen," the Doctor repeated, counting with his fingers as he thought. "Why does that ring a bell? Fourteen…"

"There's fourteen lines in a sonnet," Martha suggested.

The Doctor nodded. "So there is, good point. Words and shapes following the same design," he started pacing again, "Fourteen lines, fourteen sides, fourteen facets," his hands made their way into his hair as he thought out loud, "Oh, my head. Tetradecagon. Think, think, think! Words, letters, numbers, lines!"

"This is just a theatre!" Shakespeare piped up.

"Is it really?" Rose said, looking up in the playwright. "These people that act out are performing stories - stories with character and feeling and passion. They put in so much heart into their job to please an audience every night. All of those people crave entertainment and they cheer on when they're satisfied. It's not just a theatre to them, it's a way of life."

The Doctor walked over to Rose who sat on the edge of the stage and smiled proudly. He took her hands in his and placed a kiss to both of them. "Oh, you are brilliant, you are," he praised before putting hers in her lap then placing his own flat on the stage and addressing Shakespeare. "A theatre's magic, isn't it? You should know, Will. Stand on this stage, say the right words with the right emphasis at the right time. Oh, you can make men weep or cry with joy. Change them," he paused for a moment and Rose could tell he was getting somewhere as she could practically see the gears in his head working. "You can change people's minds just with words in this place. But if you exaggerate that…" he turned away and began to pace again.

"It's like your police box," Martha said, smiling. "Small wooden box with all that _power_ inside."

"Oh." The Doctor arched his brows as he turned to their companion. "Oh, Martha Jones, I like you," he said, nodding his head at her.

"Nice one," Rose commented.

"Tell you what, though," the Doctor continued. "Peter Streete would know. Can I talk to him?"

Shakespeare shrugged. "You won't get an answer. A month after finishing this place, he lost his mind."

"Why? What happened?" Rose asked.

"Started raving about witches, hearing voices, babbling - his mind was addled."

The Doctor moved back to the stage. "Where is he now?"

"Bedlam."

"What's Bedlam?" Martha asked.

"Bethlem Hospital. The madhouse."

"We're going to go there. Right now." The Doctor grabbed Rose by the waist, and lifted her up, inwardly grinning at the soft squeal she made in the process, and off the stage to the ground. "Come on!" Nodding to Martha, he took Rose's hand and headed off.

"Wait!" Shakespeare called out from behind, running after them, "I'm coming with you. I want to witness this at first hand."

The Doctor heard him but just kept on going with Rose by his side. "Going to an insane asylum," she commented, "Should be exciting."

"Obviously these witches have tampered with the man's mind once he saw them exposed," the Doctor said. "But the real question is _why_? What are they trying to accomplish?"

"A spell, maybe?" Rose suggested.

He considered her thought. "Hm. Could be, good thinking."

"It's why you need me, right?" She teased.

He chuckled. "Oh, you know there's _so_ many reasons," he said winking at her before turning around. "Wait a minute, where's-" he stopped when he saw Martha and Shakespeare stopped and chit-chatting. With Rose, they walked back over to them.

"I know for a fact you've got a wife in the country," they heard Martha say.

"But Martha, this is Town," he told her.

The Doctor rolled his eyes. "Come on," he said once they reached them, "We can all have a good flirt later."

Shakespeare turned and eyed him up and down. "Is that a promise, Doctor?"

Rose barely contained her laughter as the Doctor's eyes widened. "Oh…fifty seven academics just punched the air," he muttered, "Now move!"

As they began to move, Rose tried to stifle her giggles but failed. She nudged the Doctor and teased him in a sing-song tone, "You tickled his fancy."

He rolled his eyes playfully. "Stop it."

"He must've been ogling your bum when you weren't looking."

"It's this body. It's too pretty," he said, shaking his head.

"I'm not complaining," Rose said with a sweet smile.

The Doctor laughed once. "Neither am I."

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The Bethlehem Hospital was definitely _not_ an exciting place to visit. Regular hospitals were skin crawling enough to the Doctor and Rose, but a _mental_ hospital? It topped the list.

The minute they walked in, Rose felt like gagging from the grimy stench of the poorly hygienic patients as well as the entire rotted building. The Doctor wrapped a protective arm tightly around her waist and kept her close to him as they passed the cells of the raving patients. The twisted emotions and challenged minds of these people were so strong she could almost sense it as she shivered inside.

Once the Doctor asked for Peter Streete's cell, a guard led them down a corridor. He stopped and asked him with a proud smile, "Does my lord Doctor wish some entertainment while he waits? I'd whip these madmen. They'll put on a good show for ya. Bandog and Bedlam!"

The Doctor glared at the guard and growled. "No, I don't!"

His anger made the guard quickly step back. "Wait here, my lords, while I make him decent for the ladies," and then he walked away.

"And hospitals are meant to heal people," Rose said with disgust.

Martha turned to Shakespeare, face full of disdain. "And you put your friend in here?"

"Oh, and it's all so different in Freedonia," he defended with a scoff.

"But you're clever! Do you honestly think this place is any good?"

Shakespeare nodded once and appeared sad. "I've been mad, I've lost my mind. Fear of this place set me right again. It serves its purpose."

Martha was shocked. This brilliant genius was in a place like _this_? "Mad in what way?"

Rose felt the Doctor stiffen a little beside her as he tightened his grip on her waist. "You lost your son," he said quietly. Of course he would tense up at such a painful, personal experience he understood all too well. She brought her arm around his back and gently massaged him, his tension easing up a bit.

Shakespeare nodded. "My only boy. The Black Death took him. I wasn't even there."

Martha frowned. "I didn't know. I'm sorry."

"It made me question everything," he said. "The futility of this fleeting existence. To be or not to be…" he paused for a moment. "Oh, that's quite good."

Rose glanced up at the Doctor and bit back on a laugh when she saw his lips twitch. "You should write that down."

Shakespeare was thoughtful for a moment. "Hm, maybe not. A bit pretentious?"

The Doctor shrugged nonchalantly. "Eh," he said, making Rose chuckle.

The guard came back to them to say it was ready for them to come in. He led them to Peter Streete's cell and unlocked the door. The man was sitting upright on his bed with head hanging and his eyes closed. "They can be dangerous, m'lord," the guard warned. "Don't know their own strength."

"I think it helps if you don't whip them," the Doctor gritted. "Now get out!" Once the guard left the Doctor released Rose from his grip and approached Peter slowly and knelt before him. "Peter?" he said softly, "Peter Streete?"

"He's the same as he was," Shakespeare said, standing by the door with the girls. "You'll get nothing out of him."

The Doctor placed a hand on his shoulder and tried again. "Peter?" The man's head finally snapped up and opened his eyes, which were wide and glassy and…lost. Knowing this man's mental state, he most likely wouldn't be able to perform any type of speech, so the Doctor resorted to his other method. Raising his hands and gently placing his fingers on the man's temples, the Doctor closed his eyes as he went inside the man's broken mind. It was a jumbled mess, like tangled up wires.

Slowly opening in his, he spoke softly to the man. "Peter, I'm the Doctor. Go into the past, one year ago. Let your mind go back, back to when everything was fine and shining. Everything that happened in this year since happened to somebody else. It was just a story. A winter's tale. Let go. Listen," Peter obeyed as he began to slump, "That's it, just let go," he set him down on his bed, "Tell me the story, Peter. Tell me about the witches."

The architect began to speak with a slight raspy voice. "Witches spoke to Peter, in the night, they whispered. Got Peter to build the Globe to their design - _their_ design! The fourteen walls - always fourteen. When the work was done-" he giggled, "-they snapped poor Peter's wits."

"Where did Peter see the witches? Where in the city?" the Doctor asked. Peter, tell me. You've got to tell me where were they?"

Peter hesitated at first before whispering, "All Hallows Street."

"Too many words!" A voice screeched as a figure suddenly appeared beside the Doctor, making him and the others jump. It was an old haggard woman with deep wrinkles, a large pointed nose and a mole on her slightly discolored skin, dirty gray hair that hung loosely and thin, her clothing looking like a black sheet. It was a witch.

Rose twitched as she and Martha gawked at the woman and exclaimed in unison, "What the hell?"

The witch lifted a single finger in the air. "Just one touch of the heart." She bent down and placed it on Peter's chest.

"NO!" the Doctor shouted, but he was too late as Peter screamed at her touch then became silent. He was dead.

Shakespeare pointed a trembling finger at the woman. "Witch! I'm seeing a witch!"

The witch looked over the four of them, holding her finger up. "Who would be next, hmm? Just one touch. Oh, oh, I'll stop your frantic hearts. Poor, fragile mortals."

Martha turned and gripped the bars of the cell and shook them violently as she yelled, "Let us out! Let us out!"

Rose placed a hand on one of her arms. "Martha, _everyone's_ shouting that. It won't do us any good."

The witch grinned widely, showing her nasty, rotted teeth. "Who will die first, hmm?"

The Doctor shrugged and stepped forward. "Well, if you're looking for volunteers."

Rose's heart stopped for a second. He sacrificing himself again. "Doctor, no!"

Martha cried as well, "Don't!"

"No mortal has power over me," the witch said.

"Oh, but there's a power in words," he said, pacing around, "If I can find the right one, if I can just know you…"

"None on Earth has knowledge of us," the witch sneered.

"Then it's a good thing I'm here," the Doctor studied the woman, "Humanoid female, uses shapes and words to channel energy…and, of course-" He paused to turn around and arch an eyebrow at Rose.

"Fourteen," she finished.

He nodded. _"Fourteen._ The fourteen stars of the Rexel planetary configuration," he snapped his fingers before pointing at the woman and saying, "Creature, I name you Carrionite!"

With that the witch gasped and screamed before disappearing.

"What the hell did you do?" Rose asked, more than relived that he wasn't harmed.

"I named her - the power of a name," he said looking over his fingers before turning to her and throwing a grin, "That's old magic."

"But there's no such thing as magic," Martha said, shaking her head.

"Well, it's just a different sort of science. You lot, you chose mathematics. Given the right string of numbers, the right equation, you can split the atom. Carrionites use words instead."

"Use them for what?" Shakespeare asked.

The Doctor arched his brows at Rose and pressed his lips together in a straight line.

She sighed. "Of course, the usual, as always."

Martha glanced between the two. "And what exactly is 'the usual?'"

The Doctor moved next to Rose and said grimly, "The end of the world."


	11. The Shakespeare Code Part 3

**A/N: Three chapters in three days - I'm on a roll xD It's been fun with Shakespeare :) **

**In case anyone noticed I changed the cover image for this story. I love messing around with photos and ended up changing the previous one. The new one looks clearer and…better - at least in my opinion. I'm critical to myself in what I create, so yeah. Just thought I mention that :)**

**Many thanks to those who've reviewed, followed, and faved! I adore every single one of you :D**

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_**Chapter 11: The Shakespeare Code Part 3**_

The four left the Bethlehem Hospital almost immediately and made it back to the Elephant Inn up to Shakespeare's room. The Doctor had a brief suspicion the entire time that it could be the Carrionites, but as always, he thought it was impossible. But of course, that wasn't the case.

"The Carrionites disappeared way back at the dawn of the universe," he explained as he paced around the room. "Nobody was sure if they were real or legend."

"Well, I'm going for real," Shakespeare commented from his desk.

"But what do they want?" Martha asked.

"A new empire on Earth," the Doctor said. "A world of bones and blood and witchcraft."

"But how?"

Rose thought hard as she tried to piece everything together - the mysterious deaths, the structure of the Globe theatre, making the architect insane, words with power. _Words_. A sudden realization came to her. "Shakespeare," she breathed out.

The others looked over at her, the playwright answering to his name, "What?"

The Doctor eyed her curiously as she glanced at him and pointed to Shakespeare. "It's Will, he's the key."

"Sorry?" The man said confused.

Something snapped in the Doctor's mind as he caught on to where she was going with this. He turned to Shakespeare and asked, "Will, what were you doing in here last night?"

"Finishing the play."

"How's it end?"

Shakespeare shrugged. "The boys get the girls, they have a bit of a dance. It's all as funny and thought provoking as usual -" he paused for a moment as if he tried to remember, "- Except those last few lines. Funny thing is…I don't actually remember writing them."

The Doctor nodded once. "That's it, they used you. They gave you the final words. Like a spell, like a code. Rose, you were right, it's a spell! Oh, brilliant!" He ran over and cupped either side of her face then placed a quick kiss on her forehead before continuing. "_Love's Labor's Won - _it's a weapon! The right combination of words, spoken at the right place with the shape of the Globe as an energy converter! The play's the thing!" He ran into a back closet before popping his head back out to add, "And yes, you can have that."

He searched for a map and when he found one, he ran to the desk and laid it out. With a finger he scanned for where they needed to go. "All Hallows Street, there it is," he said, looking up "Right, I'll take the house with Rose and Martha," he turned to Shakespeare, "Will, you take the theater. Whatever you do, stop that play."

Shakespeare nodded and shook the Doctor's hand. "I'll do it. All these years I've been the cleverest man around. Next to you, Doctor, I know nothing."

Rose snorted. "Don't inflate his ego anymore than it is," the Doctor shot her a look and she smiled sweetly.

"Yeah, don't complain," Martha said.

"I'm not," Shakespeare said. "It's marvelous. Good luck, Doctor."

"Good luck, Shakespeare," he said, releasing his hand and turning to the girls. "Right, Rose Tyler, Martha Jones, come with me," he grabbed Rose's hand before shouting, "Once more into the breach!" He headed out the door with the girls.

"I like that," Shakespeare said, before realizing what the Doctor had quoted. "Wait a minute... that's one of mine."

"You had to throw in another one, didn't you?" Rose joked.

All he responded with was a click of his tongue and a wink.

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Rose muttered to herself as they ran outside in search for All Hallows Street, which seemed to be easier to find on the map, but apparently it was somewhat inaccurate. Luckily they turned a corner and found it

"All Hallows Street, but which house?" the Doctor asked, looking around.

"The thing is, though, am I missing something here?" Martha spoke up. "The world didn't end in 1599. It just didn't. Look at me, I'm living proof."

Rose understood where she was coming from, since she was once in her position. "It really doesn't matter," she started. "You see, Martha, there's these creatures and other things out in the world constantly changing things in Time because it can be rewritten. But we - well, the Doctor mainly - always fix those things so that the world isn't destroyed. Does that make any sense?"

The Doctor stood by Rose and nodded at her brilliant explanation. Oh, she's learned so much. Martha, however still looked confused. Ruffling his hair, he tried to find a more simpler way of explaining it. "Oh, how to explain the mechanics of the infinite temporal flux?" A thought came to him and he lowered his hand from his hair and snapped his fingers at a perfect example. "I know! _Back to the Future_. It's like _Back to the Future!_"

"The film?" Martha asked.

The Doctor blinked once. "No, the novelization," he said with such thick sarcasm, that made Rose inwardly giggle as she saw his former Northern self. "Yes, the film. Marty McFly goes back and changes history…" he trailed off hoping she was understanding.

"And he starts fading away," she finished, before finally realizing. "Oh, my God, am I going to fade?"

"You and the entire future of the human race," he told her. "It ends right now in 1599 if we don't stop it. But which house?" The Doctor looked around again as Rose tapped his arm.

"Um, Doctor," she pointed at a door to a house on the corner that suddenly thrust itself open.

The Doctor opened his mouth. "Ah."

"I think what you meant to say was _witch_ house," she said with a hint of a joke.

A faint smile appeared on his face. "Oh, good one."

Approaching the house cautiously Rose felt another chill, which made her feel certain that this was definitely where the witches were, but also made her a little worried about what bad thing might happen. No, she wasn't going to think negative right now. They would fix this, just as they always did. They climbed up the flight of stairs and met a young woman standing in a small den, and judging by how she made Rose twitch, she was definitely a Carrionite.

"I take it we're expected," the Doctor called.

"Oh, I think Death has been waiting for you a very long time," she replied.

Martha tapped Rose's arm and confidently told her. "Right then, it's my turn. I know how to do this," she pointed at the witch, "I name thee Carrionite!" The witch gasped, but then began to smile as she was still standing before them. "What did I do wrong? Was it the finger?" Martha asked the Doctor, confused.

"The power of a name works only once," the Carrionite told her. "Observe," she raised a hand to point at Martha, "I gaze upon this bag of bones and now I name thee Martha Jones." Martha suddenly gasped before collapsing, luckily the Doctor and Rose were right beside her and set her on the ground.

"Oh, my God, Martha," Rose said, studying her face and checking for her pulse - thankfully she was alive, just unconscious.

"What have you done?" The Doctor shouted, kneeling by the girls.

"Only sleeping, alas. It's curious, the name has less impact. She's somehow out of her time," she turned her attention to the Doctor and pointed at him, "And as for you, Sir Doctor." Nothing happened. He just gave her a hard look as she studied him. "Fascinating. There is no name. Why would a man hide his title in such despair?" A small smile grazed her lips. "Oh, but look. There's still one word with the power that aches."

"The naming won't work on me," he warned, standing to his feet and bringing Rose with him.

"Never said it would," she smiled wide as she turned to Rose and pointed at her. "But your little mate here is more than what meets the eye as well." She tilted her head and observed her. "Her heart burns warm, her insides run cold with woes, time will tell until she becomes a wilted…" she leaned closer before finishing off with a whisper, "Rose."

At mention of her name Rose gasped as another chill shot through her body and made her lightheaded. She fell to her knees holding her head, the Doctor right beside her with an arm around her midsection to hold her and…nothing else happened.

The Carrionite glared in disappointment and shock. Her magic wasn't working on them. "Impossible! Your name has merged with another and kept hidden as well! Hiding your true self beneath a golden light."

The Doctor relaxed as he looked over Rose unharmed. He had a pretty good idea of what the other name was, but wasn't fully certain. Whatever it was he was thankful that the Carrionite couldn't find it. He moved a hand behind her neck and rubbed her skin gently before releasing her and glaring at the woman. "Oh, big mistake," he stood at full height and walked over to the woman, towering over her, "Because she keeps me _fighting."_ Now he needed answers. "The Carrionites vanished. Where did you go?"

The woman took a quick glance over his body before turning away from him to stand up on the slightly elevated floor as she talked. "The Eternals found the right word to banish us into deep darkness."

"And how did you escape?"

"New words. New and glittering, from a mind like no other."

"Shakespeare," the Doctor said.

The Carrionite moved to the window and looked out. "His son perished. The grief of a genius - grief without measure. Madness enough to allow us entrance."

"How many of you?"

"Just the three," she answered. "But the play tonight shall restore the rest. Then the human race will be purged as pestilence, and from this world we will lead the universe back into the old ways of blood and magic," she told him as she turned to face him with a grin.

The Doctor scratched his sideburn. "Hmm…busy schedule," he commented as he stepped closer to the witch, "But first you've got to get past me."

"Oh, that should be a pleasure," the Carrionite said in a soft voice as she moved until she was a breath away from him, the elevated floor making her eye to eye with him. She raised a hand and traced the features of his face, just as Rose had the night before. "Considering my enemy has such a handsome shape."

_Nice try_, he thought. "Now, that's one form of magic that's _definitely_ not going to work on me," the Doctor told her calmly, unphased by her touch. Only one person can wield such magic onto him in this way, and this witch definitely was _not_ her.

She grinned as her hand moved to the side of his head and brush over his hair, her lips ghosting over his cheekbone. "Oh, we'll see," she said seductively.

That was all Rose needed as her head finally cleared and she jumped up to stomp over to the witch. "Well, hands off! He's already taken," she pushed the woman away from the Doctor, but she hadn't noticed the witch had a small pair of clippers in her hand until they heard a snipping noise.

The Doctor brought a hand to his hair and furrowed his brows. "What did you do?" he asked the Carrionite who was giggling.

"Souvenir," she said happily as she held up of few of his hairs in one hand and her pair of clippers in the other.

"Well, give it back!" he shouted as they ran over to grab her, but she threw her arms up in the air and flew backwards out the window. He sighed. "Well, that's just cheating."

"Should I grab a bucket of water and make her melt?" Rose asked, half jokingly as this was serious.

"Behold, Doctor," she called as she hovered in the air. She took out a small crocheted doll and wrapped his hairs around it. "Men to Carrionites are nothing but puppets."

"Now, you might call that magic. I'd call that a DNA replication module," the Doctor pointed out.

Rose felt another chill shoot through her. This isn't good. She tapped his arm to warn him. "Doctor-"

"What use is your science now?" The Carrionite interrupted as she stabbed the scissor point straight into the doll's chest, causing the Doctor to scream in pain and fall into Rose's arms. His weight was too much for her as she gently brought him to the ground. Looking up, she saw the witch fly away cackling. _Bitch witch_, she thought.

Martha began to stir as she heard a scream and cackling. When she opened her eyes she saw the Doctor lay on his back motionless on the floor with Rose by his side. "Oh, my God, Doctor!" she said rushing over to them.

Rose stopped Martha with her hand before turning to the Doctor. "All right, you can stop the act now," she told him. "You have two hearts, and you're really heavy for someone so skinny."

The Doctor 'woke up' as he grinned and opened one of his eyes. "No foolin' you," he commented.

"It's not hard when I can literally see you breathing."

He huffed before standing up slowly and then doubling over, clutching Rose's arm. "Ah! I've only got one heart working," he glanced at both women with gritted teeth, "How do you people cope?" He threw his head back with his eyes shut and grunted. "I've got to get the other one started. Hit me! Hit me on the chest!" Rose did just that and punched him. His eyes shot open wide. "Gah! _Other_ side." _Whack_. "Now, on the back, on the back." _Whack_. "Left a bit." _Whack_. He straightened up and cracked his back. "Gah, lovely. There we go. Ba-da-boom-ba!" He glanced at the girls and sniffed. "Well, what are you two standing there for? Come on, the Globe!"

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Leaving the house they ran for the Globe, but stopped for a moment when they saw the sky opened up as a storm was hovering over the theatre with people all over screaming in fear.

"I guess the play wasn't stopped," Rose commented as they ran for the back door. Once inside they saw the man himself who was directed to stop the play leaning against a wall and holding his head.

"'Stop the play.' I think that was it," the Doctor shouted at Shakespeare. He glanced over at Rose who nodded before turning back to him, "Yeah, I said, stop the play!"

"I hit my head," he told them as he rubbed it.

"Yeah, don't rub it, you'll go bald," the Doctor advised, making Rose stifle a laugh. Just then more screams came from the stage. "I think that's my cue!" He yelled.

With that, they all ran out on the stage and saw a gaping hole in the air over the audience pit, swirling with strong winds and lightning as black silhouettes of the Carrionites flew out of it and into the sky.

"Doctor, what do we do?" Rose shouted over the chaos.

"Come on, Will!" He yelled as grabbed a fearful Shakespeare's arm and pulled him closer to them. "History needs you!"

"But what can I do?" He asked, unsure.

"Reverse it!"

"How am I supposed to do that?"

"The shape of the Globe gives words power, but you're the wordsmith, the one true genius. The only man clever enough to do it."

He shook his head at him. "But what words? I have none ready!"

"You're William Shakespeare!" Rose exclaimed.

"But these Carrionite phrases, they need such precision."

The Doctor held his arm tighter for encouragement. "Trust yourself. When you're locked away in your room, the words just come, don't they? Like magic. Words of the right sound, the right shape, the right rhythm - words that last forever. That's what you do, Will. You choose perfect words," he brought him closer to the edge up to the swirling storm. "Do it. Improvise."

Shakespeare took another look at the three of them before taking a deep breath and began to speak, gesturing with his arm. "Close up this den of hateful, dire decay, decomposition of your witches' plot! You thieve my brains, consider me your toy. My doting Doctor tells me I am not! Foul Carrionite specters, cease your show! Between the points…" He trailed off and turned to the Doctor for help.

"7-6-1-3-9-0!" the Doctor told quickly.

"7-6-1-3-9-0!" he repeated, getting back into the flow. "And banished like a tinker's cuss, I say to thee…" He trailed off again but when he looked looked back at the Doctor he was lost and didn't know what to say.

"Expelliarmus!" Martha suddenly shouted quickly.

Rose and the Doctor smiled at her before glancing at each other and simultaneously repeating it, "Expelliarmus!"

"Expelliarmus!" Shakespeare yelled.

"Good old JK!" the Doctor happily exclaimed as the swirling cloud funneled into a tornado, pulling in all of the Carrionites as well every page from the play's script.

"_Love's Labor's Won_," the Doctor said as he slung an arm around both of the girls, watching it disappear into nothingness. "There it goes."

After another moment the tornado thinned out before disappearing completely. The audience were utterly gobsmacked at what had happened. Everyone breathed out in relief before applauding wildly and whistling.

At the sound of cheering, the actors from the play each stood together to take their bows.

"They think it was special effects," Martha commented, smiling.

The Doctor nudged Rose's shoulder and nodded his head to the stage door. Together they ran out and headed up the stairs to the box seats. Pulling back the curtain to one of them, they noticed a crystal ball laying on the ground. Walking over to it Rose knelt down to pick it up and saw the Carrionites trying to claw their way out.

She laughed at them. "Not so powerful in there now, are ya?"

Kneeling beside her, the Doctor gingerly took it from her hands and inspected it. "No chance of escaping anymore, they're trapped in there forever."

"What're you gonna do with it?"

The Doctor stood up and Rose followed suit, still studying the ball. "Oh, I've got a special place for this in the TARDIS."

She chuckled and arched a brow at him. "You're keeping it as a souvenir?"

"Why not? Has nowhere else to be," he lifted it up and grinned as the Carrionites clawed at him from inside the ball.

"You're such a hoarder," she joked.

"Oi, it's not _hoarding_," he defended. "More like _collecting_."

She snorted as they headed back down to the inn.

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Beings how it was late the Doctor figured they could stay for the night and head off in the morning - well, technically speaking it _was_ already morning, so they'd be off at daylight. Martha would be going back home, so she needed as much rest as she could get. He wasn't too surprised when Rose fell asleep right away. Though her cycle could be pushed back like his own, she was still exhausted over the last couple days, so he just let her have a peaceful slumber.

Instead of staying with her the whole night, he left the inn for a brief walk to the Globe. So much has happened during their visit here that he needed to clear his head for a little bit. The streets were quiet and unoccupied, the only sounds were the scuffing of his trainers and light brushing of the bottom of his coat across the dirt paths. He stopped to gaze up at the theatre, and even in the moonlight it was magnificent. Rounding to the back, the Doctor slowly walked in and shuffled across the stage, his soles squeaking against the wood. The place was bathed in darkness, all except for the brightness from the moon hanging high above like a spotlight in the sky, shining directly on him.

Standing in the center of the stage the Doctor lifted his head and stared into the darkness of the bleachers and seats, letting his mind wander off into various places, which was a given expectation in this kind of environment. Stories have been told here - stories of triumph, and failures, and love, and loss. So many emotions could be displayed in this very building. Burying his hands in his deep pockets, he couldn't stop himself from delving deep into the recesses of his mind as he stared blankly into nothingness.

Here he was once again, surrounded by the dark, something he's grown accustomed to for so long being on his own. When no one else was around he could always depend on the shadows comforting him. Sad as it was he sometimes felt a strange sense of serenity when wrapped up tightly in its welcoming embrace. He was never looking for anything in particular, just traveling in mystery, not knowing what was ahead of him. Days like those haven't occurred for a while now, which was good, but he still felt some kind of unexplainable emptiness within.

Even before the war he had felt a hole deep inside of himself just aching to be filled, but he never understood what it was exactly. For so, so long he contemplated the thought of what was pushing him further, wondering whether or not anything was worthy, or purposeful - wondering what exactly was keeping him going on when there wasn't anything special waiting for him in his path. Of course the TARDIS was always with him, but he always wanted a helping hand to lead him through the darkness with a clearer mind, someone to give his long life some kind of meaning.

And then he met a certain pink and yellow human…

It was like he was touched by a light - an angel - that illuminated his darkness, chasing away the shadows and the demons and everything else hidden away deep inside. Somehow, some way, she took one look at him and had his hearts right from the beginning. She saw right through him and picked at the guilt eating away at him with ease and healed him. Every day with her felt like an old wound was being patched up, but he had too many scars that needed healing that would never fade. They'd stay for as long as he lives, no matter how many times he changes. But the determination in this young woman forced any and all doubts out aside and chucked them away.

Looking down at his feet the Doctor saw a faint yellow light approaching him from behind. He hadn't heard anyone following him, but someone knew where he would be - that or they may be lost. Turning around he was greeted not by a stranger, but by the one person who did the impossible to him in so many ways, and he couldn't help but smile warmly.

Rose walked slowly over to him, her footfalls soft and quiet, with a candlestick in her hand and an equally, if not brighter, smile. Just like Shakespeare had said - always shining her golden light, and that's exactly what she doing right now. Her beauty was illuminating along with the candlelight, her hair giving off an angelic glow as it cascaded down her shoulders. She had looked the same as she did on the night they opened up their feelings to each other on Noel when they kissed passionately for the very first time underneath the magical mistletoe by the fireplace. The beginning of something new yet something that's been lingering inside both of them for a long time.

Once she made it to him he acrched and eyebrow at her. "You lost?"

She shook her head, still smiling. "I knew very well where I'm going."

"How'd you know where to find me?"

Rose shrugged and looked around the Globe. "You were fanboying over this place when we got here, and I know this seems like somewhere you'd wander around in. It's very _you_."

He nodded. "Well…I suppose it is. Thought you were asleep?"

"I was, but I realized you were gone."

The Doctor lowered his head. He never wanted to leave her alone. "I was gonna come back, it's just I needed to, you know, walk around for a bit."

"No, it's fine. I really didn't even need that much sleep anyway," she said, placing the candlestick down on the floor beside them.

He chuckled. "I see you're improving, then."

She smiled at him. "Shut up." Stepping closer to him, she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"What's this for?" He asked, wrapping his own around her waist.

"You need to know that you're not alone," she whispered.

Oh, his lovely Rose. She knew him so well. "What?"

"I know you, Doctor. I know when you have your moments like this - some guilt and sadness comes over you and then you wander around with that distant look in your eyes. But I told you before, you shouldn't keep beating yourself up whenever those feelings return. You've got me."

"I know," he said softly. "But I don't wanna-"

Pulling back a fraction, Rose placed her hand over his mouth. "Don't you dare say what I think you're gonna say. I promised you that I'd take away whatever pain you feel inside. I know I'll never take it all away, but you can always let me in whenever."

_Rassilon, how does she do it?_ He always knew Rose was anything than just _ordinary,_ but she always proved to him why he needed her - she was his savior, his healer, and so much more.

She removed her hand from his mouth and brought it back with its twin to the back of his head into his hair, bringing him down to her lips, but he met her halfway as he gently pulled her closer to him by the waist. The kiss was slow as they savored each other's taste, every millimeter of their mouths. Both of the Doctor's hands were splayed on the small of her back as he held her while Rose tugged at his locks. He growled as he brought a hand up to her jaw before thrusting it in her silky, golden hair, plunging his tongue deeper in her mouth once she moaned softly.

Sometimes the Doctor needed a reminder that she was really here with him to stay, just to know that he wasn't dreaming. He never felt he deserved someone as amazing and patient as Rose in his hectic life, but all the same he was grateful that he was given the greatest gift the universe had to offer. He thanked every God he didn't believe in for this precious girl - the only thing he ever really believed in.

They broke the kiss when they were breathless and leaned their foreheads together. Rose looked up at him, bringing a hand down to his chest and poking him. "No witch will _ever_ experience that, no matter how much they flirt with you."

The Doctor gave her a lopsided grin. "I didn't see you get so protective when Shakespeare flirted with me."

"That was different," she said.

"How so?"

Rose smiled. "It just _was._ Are you bragging?"

"No, no, I was just mentioning it, is all."

He tucked her head under his chin as he kept her close. They remained in their warm embrace for a few moments before Rose asked, "Doctor, what did the Carrionite mean when she said my name is hidden?"

"I don't know for sure but she must have sensed Bad Wolf," he answered. "Now that your system adjusted to the Huon particles, everything that you are merged with them and made you more advanced. That's why she couldn't use her magic on you - you were too powerful."

"So…is that my actual name then?"

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet," the Doctor quoted softly.

Rose swatted his chest playfully at his words and laughed. "Oh, God. You've been saving that all day, haven't you?"

He grinned unashamedly. "I guess I had one more." Pulling back, he scrunched his nose. "I couldn't resist."

She laughed again. "But doesn't that mean a name doesn't matter because the person would still be the same?"

"Why yes it does! Gold star for you," he exclaimed.

"So are you saying that Bad Wolf is my name?"

"No, Rose. Bad Wolf isn't technically your _name_, but it _is_ a part of who you are. It protects you."

"Just like you?" She asked sweetly.

He chuckled and placed a kiss to her nose. "Exactly. Besides, I wanted to quote Shakespeare with 'rose' in it, and that's the most popular one."

"Fanboy," she commented before bringing him down for another kiss.

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Morning came and Martha joined Shakespeare at the Globe, sitting on the stage while the Doctor and Rose rummaged around backstage. She hadn't seen much of them after they saved the world from witches. When the actors came out to take their bows onstage they had just disappeared. Later that night she did see them come back to their guest room and lay down together on their bed, but when she woke up they were gone. Of course, the Doctor said that they don't need much sleep, maybe they walked around the Town or…maybe they did _other_ activities.

No, that was inappropriate of her to think of her friends in that way. But she couldn't help but think like that given the way they look at each other. It's kind of obvious that they're a couple.

"…and I say, a heart for a hart and a dear for a deer," Shakespeare said with a laugh, breaking her out of her thoughts.

Martha smiled. "I don't get it," she said honestly.

"Then give me a joke from Freedonia."

"Okay." She thought of anything and then something popped into her head. "Shakespeare walks into a pub and the landlord says, 'Oi, mate, you're bard.'"

It seemed to work as he laughed. "It's brilliant! Doesn't make sense, mind you, but never mind that…" he placed his hand on her back and pulled her closer to him. "Come here."

She smiled shyly. "I've only just met you."

"The Doctor will never kiss you, not while he has his Rose," he said.

That was true. She discarded the random chaste kiss - or _genetic transfer_, as he called it - that he gave her in the hospital since it meant nothing. Though it wasn't a bad kiss, not bad at _all,_ she wasn't interested in him, not when he already has someone. Granted, he's handsome, there was _no_ denying that, and charismatic, but Rose is his mate, and Martha just wasn't that type of person. Just looking at the two of them one can see how perfect and beautiful they look together. Besides, Rose was very nice and friendly, and she wouldn't dare try to make a move on someone who is unavailable.

"Why not entertain a man who will?" Shakespeare finished as he leaned over to kiss her, but she pulled back.

"I don't know how to tell you this, oh great genius, but your breath doesn't half stink."

"Good props store back there!" came the Doctor's voice as he and Rose strolled out from the back onto the stage. He wore a white cuff around his neck and carried several items in his arms while Rose had some kind of red hat on her head and a fake sword in her hand.

Rose gestured at the Doctor, "This one is worse than a five year old," she said with a smile, and Martha laughed. "He was reciting words to a skull."

"What's wrong with that? It's a clever idea, wouldn't you say? Full of emotion, just what a good performance needs." He placed down all of the items and held up a large animal skull. "I'm not sure about this though," he added, showing it to Rose.

"Ah, our very first Christmas. So many memories," she said with a giggle and a nostalgic expression.

Martha and Shakespeare just stared at them. "Sorry?" he said.

"Remember the spaceship on Christmas, Martha?" The Doctor asked, showing her the skull. "This guy sort of looks like them - the Sycorax."

Martha gaped. _They were there too?_ Knowing them they were probably there when that spaceship crashed into Big Ben as well.

"Sycorax," Shakespeare said thoughtfully. "Nice word. I'll have that off you as well."

"I should be on ten percent," the Doctor said, placing the skull down with the pile of items. "How's your head?"

"Still aching."

"Here, try this. The Doctor took off the ruff from his neck and put it on Shakespeare. "Neck brace," he told him. "Should help. Wear that for a few days till it's better."

"Although you might wanna keep it," Rose suggested, gently nudging the Doctor in the ribs. "It suits you." They each shared a quick glance before looking back over at the playwright.

"What about the play?" Martha asked.

"Gone. I looked all over - every single copy of _Love's Labor's Won _went up in the sky," the Doctor informed.

Shakespeare sighed. "My lost masterpiece."

"You could write it up again," Martha suggested.

The Doctor and Rose shared a glance at each other. Definitely not a good idea. "Uh, I don't think that would be a good idea, Will," Rose told him.

"There's still power in those words. Maybe it should best stay forgotten," the Doctor added.

"Oh, but I've got new ideas," Shakespeare said. "Perhaps it's time I wrote about fathers and sons, in memory of my boy, my precious Hamnet."

Martha's brows shot up at the name. "Hamnet?"

"That's him."

"Ham_net_?"

"What's wrong with that?" he asked defensively.

"Anyway, time we were off," the Doctor cut in holding up the crystal ball with the trapped Carrionites, "I've got a nice attic in the TARDIS where this lot can scream for all eternity," he gestured to Martha, "and I've got to take Martha back to Freedonia."

Shakespeare eyed him. "You mean travel on through time and space."

The Doctor looked startled. "You what?"

"You're from another world like the Carrionites," he said matter-of-factly. "Martha is from the future, out of her time. And Rose," he squinted an eye at Rose and tilted his head, "She's something else, something _more._ She's from the future as well, and also isn't all that she seems. But no matter where she was birthed, one thing is certain that her rightful place is by your side, Doctor," he finished with a smile. "It's not hard to work out."

"Oh, my God," Rose breathed out. He _was_ clever.

The Doctor shook his head, stunned before grinning. "That's incredible. You are _incredible."_

"We're alike in many ways, Doctor," Shakespeare said, nodding to him before reaching for Rose's hand and kissing the back of it, making her blush. He then turned to Martha and held her hand. "Martha, let me say goodbye to you in a new verse. A sonnet for my Dark Lady."

The Doctor arched his brows at Rose. She leaned over to him and whispered, "You don't think he's gonna-"

She was cut off when the playwright began his sonnet. "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate-"

"Will, you'll never believe it," a voice shouted from the entrance. Two of the actors from the play came running in. "She's here! She's turned up!"

"We're the talk of the town," the other said. "She heard about last night. She wants us to perform it again."

"Who?" Martha asked.

"Her Majesty. She's here," they informed as a fanfare began to play, followed by a royal entrance.

The Doctor's eyebrows shot to his hairline and smiled happily at who entered the Globe. "Queen Elizabeth the First!" he exclaimed.

Queen Elizabeth noticed him and glared daggers. "Doctor!" She said angrily.

"What?" He said, confused.

Rose chuckled then nudged his side and whispered with a small smile, "What'd ya do?"

The Queen turned her fiery gaze to her. "And his little temptress!"

Now Rose was confused as her smile vanished. "What?"

"My sworn enemies. Off with their heads!"

They both shouted indignantly in unison. "What!?"

Martha stood up quickly. "Never mind what, just run!" There was no need to tell them twice. They dashed to the stage door. "See you, Will, and thanks!" Martha yelled.

"Stop that pernicious duo!" they heard the queen shout while Shakespeare laughed in the background.

They darted through the streets, swerving around crowds of people and side carts while soldiers ordered for them to stop as they chased them. Thankfully the TARDIS was close by to make their escape. As they approached it Martha yelled, "What'd you two do that upset her?"

"How should I know?" the Doctor answered reaching for his key and unlocking the door. "Haven't met her yet. That's time travel for you."

Martha immediately went in, followed by Rose, but she stood at the door frame and smiled. "Looks like we have something to look forward to, Doctor."

He grinned. "I know! I can't wait to find out." Just as he turned, he saw one of the soldiers shoot an arrow from a bow. "Oh!" He tackled Rose as he pushed his way in to shut the door behind them, just missing the arrow as it stuck to the TARDIS on the outside. The Doctor leaned his back against the door and began to laugh hysterically with Rose joining him.

Oh, what an adventure that would be.

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**hehe Review! :)**


	12. Gridlock Part 1

**A/N: Back to the cat people! LOL XD**

**Many thanks to all who have reviewed, followed, and faved! You're all great motivation! :') And to the few guest reviewers, while I can't respond directly to you, just know that you're also amazing and I adore you as well. Thank you! :D**

**Oh, and this is specifically for _Candy thy Cutie:_ If you're hearing this, thank you so much! I hope you're doing okay, and I'm glad you're enjoying the story. Much love! -Angie ;)**

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_**Chapter 12: Gridlock Part 1**_

Rose had to hold onto the railing to keep herself up while she waited for her giggle fit to pass, but it wasn't easing up as the Doctor only seemed to add to it. Apparently some time in the future she and the Doctor did something inexplicably dishonorable to anger Queen Elizabeth the first, and become sworn enemies of Her Majesty.

"I can't believe we're gonna be enemies of Queen Elizabeth the first!" Rose exclaimed as the Doctor helped her stand fully to her feet.

"What a laugh!" The Doctor cried happily, jogging up to the console.

Rose followed, still laughing. "Why is it that we have such a horrible track record with royalty?"

"Well, we do have a habit of not abiding by the rules, and when it comes to people of such high power, we're bound to get ourselves into some kind of mischief." He moved around the console, twisting and turning controls.

Martha sat on the jump seat and flitted her eyes between the two, shocked. "You've met _other_ royals?"

"Oh, here and there," the Doctor answered. "Not too often. We don't always make a habit out of it."

"Very lordly of you," she commented with a small smile.

"What did we do that made us her sworn enemies?" Rose asked.

He stopped and pointed a finger at her. "What _will_ we do that'll make us her sworn enemies," he corrected with a grin.

She waved her hand. "Yeah, yeah, you know what I meant."

"Don't know. We'll just have to wait until it happens, Rose."

"Well I'm curious to know why the hell I was called a _temptress,"_ she said.

"So am I," the Doctor mumbled.

Rose overheard him and smiled, "What was that, Doctor?"

The Doctor shrugged. "I don't know what we'll do, but Rose, you have to admit you _can_ be a bit distracting."

"What!? I don't go around flirtin' with people. If anything, _you_ are the seductive one."

His eyebrows shot up. "Me!?" His voice squeaked in an unmanly manner, then he cleared his throat. "That's unintentional."

She crossed her arms. "You saying you don't?"

He ignored answering her question and did what he always did - changing the subject. "Anywaaay, just one trip. That's what I said. One trip in the TARDIS, and then home," he informed. He tilted his head and looked over to Martha, who was grinning at them as they conversed. "Although…I suppose we could stretch the definition - take one trip into past, one trip into future. How do you fancy that?"

Martha smiled. "No complaints from me!"

Moving over to stand at the console beside the young med student, Rose asked, "How'd you feel about meeting William Shakespeare?"

"Oh, it was amazing! Almost like a realistic dream," she exclaimed. "Do you both live your lives like that every day?"

Rose bit her lip and gave her the same answer she had given Donna when she asked: "Not all the time." She smiled at her before turning to the Doctor. "Where'd you have in mind, Doctor?"

He glanced up at them with a smile. "How about a different planet?"

Martha's face lit up. "Can we go to yours?"

Rose saw how his smile started to slowly to fade, which led to her own disappearing. She noticed that familiar saddened look creeping into his eyes as he averted his gaze and returned his focus on the console. "Ah, there's plenty of other places," he said casually, hiding his solemnity just as he always did.

"Come on, though. I mean, planet of the Time Lords. That's got to be worth a look," Martha said lightly. "What's it like?"

"Martha…" Rose began quietly. She tried to warn her that it wasn't really safe territory to walk on when it came to the Doctor. It was too painful and personal for him.

He didn't seem to stop himself though from saying, "Well, it's beautiful, yeah."

"Is it like, you know, outer space cities, all spires and stuff?" Martha said, still smiling at him.

He sniffed, his hands stilled on the console and eyes staring at them. "I suppose it is."

Not noticing his discomfort, Martha just continued in wonder, walking away from the console and gesturing her hands in the air, "Great big temples and cathedrals?"

The Doctor blinked once, his voice quiet. "Yeah."

Rose moved to stand close to him for comfort as Martha continued with her imagination. "Lots of planets in the sky?"

Lifting his head, a small smile appeared on his face but it couldn't reach his eyes as he reminisced. "The sky's a burnt orange," he began. "With the Citadel enclosed in a mighty glass dome, shining under the twin suns. Beyond that, the mountains go on forever. Slopes of deep red grass, capped with snow…" he trailed off as his eyes met Martha's briefly before returning his gaze to his hands and toying with a button on the console.

As the images of Gallifrey came to her mind, Rose couldn't help but imagine its beauty as he had described it. She had always thought it was beautiful, but knew she'd never be able to see it in real life - just like him. Very rarely did the Doctor mention anything of his home, and whenever he did the pain was perfectly visible when he would. It hurt her deeply that he could never go back, that he lost so much, so many people, which was why she told him she'd always be with him for comfort whenever those wounds would be reopened, so he could understand he wasn't alone anymore.

Not as long as she was by his side, which was guaranteed to be forever.

Rose placed a hand over one of his and squeezed it, reminding him of that certainty and reassuring him that he wasn't alone. She saw his eyes quickly glance over to her face as she watched him. He stopped fiddling with the button on the console and let out a low sigh that only she heard, turning his hand over to return the gentle squeeze while brushing his thumb softly over the backs of her fingers.

Martha stood on the other side of the console and stared at them. "Can we go there?" she asked breathlessly.

How she wished they could. Rose attempted to divert from the topic when it started up, but she needed to end it right now. It wasn't Martha's fault, she just didn't know. "The thing is Martha, we-"

The Doctor flipped his switch and returned to his manic self, just as he always did. "Nah! Where's the fun for me? I don't want to go home." He released Rose's hand to fiddle with the controls, putting the TARDIS in-flight. "Instead, this is much better." They landed with a light jolt as the Doctor ran over to the coral strut to retrieve his coat while explaining. "Year five billion and fifty-three, planet New Earth. Second hope of mankind. Fifty thousand light years from your old world, and we're slap bang in the middle of New New York. Although, technically it's the fifteenth New York from the original, so it's New New New New New New New New New New New New New New New York."

"Congrats for repeating that so easily," Rose said with a smile, following him to grab her jacket.

He lifted his chin and sniffed. "Thanks! I've wanted to say that again," he turned to Martha, "It's one of the most dazzling cities ever built." He nodded his head to the doors. "Go on, ladies first." His hand was on Rose's back as he led her and Martha outside - into the pouring rain.

Martha yelped at the surprise and zipped up her jacket, scowling. "Oh, that's nice! Time Lord version of dazzling."

"Could be worse," Rose commented, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Nah, bit of rain never hurt anyone," the Doctor said nonchalantly as he came out of the TARDIS to join them. He turned to pull out the arrow that was still stuck on the door and observed it briefly before tossing it aside. "Come on, let's get under cover!" Grabbing Rose's hand they took off into the streets with Martha catching up.

This wasn't the New Earth that Rose had been to, or at least the same part. This section was very urbanized and somewhat ghetto. Rubbish was thrown on the ground in piles, large boxes were lining the streets, pieces of laundry hung loosely on clotheslines, and the air was…bland. Definitely a major turn around from last time.

An awning hung over a wall, which they quickly ducked under to avoid the rain. "Well, it looks like the same old Earth to me," Martha said critically, looking around the area. "On a Wednesday afternoon."

"Yeah, where's the apple grass?" Rose asked. "And the flying cars, and the beautiful scenery?" She turned to the Doctor, "You sure you landed us in the right place?"

He arched a brow. "Questioning my driving again, Rose Tyler?"

"Well, if I made a list of how many times we've-"

"Oh, hold on, hold on," he looked around and spotting a small screen on the wall behind them. He took out the sonic and tried to operate it. "Let's have a look." The screen turned on and showed static. With his hand the Doctor smacked it and the picture cleared, showing a woman's face.

**"-**_**and the driving should be clear and easy, with fifteen extra lanes open for the New New Jersey expressway,**_**"** the woman reported before fading. The next clip that came up was a view of the city, and it was exactly as Rose remembered - the vast hills of apple grass by the coast of a shimmering blue river bordering the tall buildings and the cars flying by overhead.

She pointed to the screen and smiled. "That's it, right here. We landed just over there by the hill and laid out on the grass-" she looked up at the Doctor, "- where the new new Doctor went on his usual lecturing about the city, and the planet…" she trailed off at the memory.

The Doctor hummed. "That was an amazing day…very thrilling, eh?" He looked down at Rose and smiled. Truth be told it was one of the best days he's ever had - minus the diseased processed humans, cat nuns, and that flab of skin. Everything was beginning anew - he just regenerated and this was their first trip together in this incarnation. Now look how far they've come. A lot's changed since their last trip, and they wouldn't have it any other way. Coming out of his memories he glanced back at the streets. "This must be the lower levels. Down in the base of the tower, some sort of under-city."

"You've brought me to the slums?" Martha asked flatly.

"Much more interesting!" the Doctor cried happily as he turned around. "It's all cocktails and glitter up there. This is the real city."

"Yeah, rubbish and broken down appliances, right?"

"Of course! All sorts of stuff. You don't find any of that in the posh sections."

Rose chuckled. "Obviously."

Martha smiled at the two. "You both would enjoy anything,"

The Doctor grinned. "That's us!" They heard less raindrops over their heads on the awning as the rain eased up. Holding out a hand he grinned a little wider. "Oh, the rain's stopping! Better and better!"

"So why're we coming back here?" Martha asked, looking around as the rain stopped.

"Oh…we didn't get much chance to explore last time," the Doctor answered.

"Thank Cassandra for that," Rose muttered.

Martha raised a questioning brow. "Who's that?"

"Oh, just a bitchy trampoline, that's all you need to know," she answered as she waved her hand while the Doctor smirked at her.

Martha stared at them. "You two never make any sense, you know that?"

"That's us," he repeated, taking Rose's hand. "C'mon."

Stepping out from underneath the awning, they walked a few steps when a top of one of the large boxes opened up like a vendor's cart, revealing a man smiling wide. "Oh! You should have said. How long you been there? Happy! You want Happy!"

"Customers!" another voice shouted from behind. They turned and saw another cart open. "Customers! We've got customers!"

More and more carts began to open as the vendors shouted over each other to sell their products.

"What the hell?" Rose said, eyeing the vendors.

"We're in business!" another shouted directly at them. "Mother, open up the Mellow, and the Read!"

"No, thanks," the Doctor answered with a frown, uninterested.

"Are they selling drugs?" Martha asked.

"I think they're selling moods," he said quietly.

"Same thing, isn't it?"

The attention drawn to them was redirected to a young woman dressed in black. She made her way over to one of the carts, the three travellers watching.

"And what can I get you, my love?" the vendor asked the sulking woman.

"I want to buy Forget."

"I've got Forget, my darling. What strength? How much you want forgetting?"

"It's my mother and father. They went on the motorway."

"Oh, that's a swain," the vendor shook her head before reaching behind her to pick out a small circular patch and showing the woman. "Try this, Forget Forty-three. That's twopence."

After paying, the young woman turned away with the patch and stared at it in her hand as she walked away. Rose went up to her for answers. "Excuse me, what happened to your parents?" she asked softly.

"They drove off," the woman answered.

_Okay…_"But they might drive back, yeah?"

"Everyone goes to the motorway in the end. I've lost them."

"But they couldn't have gone far, I mean, it's only a motorway. You could find them," she gestured back at the Doctor and Martha behind her, "My friends and I, we could help you."

The young woman discarded her reasoning and frowned. Looking down at the patch, she lifted it and pressed it on her neck.

"No, no," the Doctor stepped forward to stop her. "Don't-"

The woman raised her head and appeared neutral. "I'm sorry, what were you saying?" she asked with a dazed look in her eyes.

"Your parents," the Doctor reminded. "Your mother and father. They're on the motorway."

"Are they? That's nice," she said with a smile. "I'm sorry, I won't keep you." With that the woman walked away, both the Doctor and Rose watching her go.

"That's new," Rose commented.

"So that's the human race five billion years in the future," Martha said from behind. "Off their heads on chemicals."

Suddenly she screamed, causing both the Doctor and Rose to whip their heads around. They were met with a man and a woman each holding a gun - the man holding it to Martha as he grabbed her and the woman pointing it towards them.

Holding their hands up in a surrender, they tried to approach the kidnappers to get Martha back. both held their hands up in surrender. "No, let her go!" Rose yelled.

"I'm warning you, let her go!" The Doctor shouted.

"I'm sorry, I'm really, really sorry. We just need three, that's all," the man said sincerely.

"Whatever you want, I can help. Both of us, we can help. But first you've got to let her go!"

Everyone was shouting over each other, but the man backed up to an open door, just as the woman cried, "I'm sorry!" and dashing out the door.

"Martha!" Rose screamed as they ran to the door. She grabbed the knob and found it locked.

"Watch out," the Doctor whipped out the sonic and unlocked the door before they chased after the kidnappers through a dark tunnel.

"Doctor, what do they mean they need three?" She asked as they ran.

"We won't know til we catch them!"

They reached the end of the tunnel and into the light, but no one was there. Running over to the railing they saw a car hovering in the air. "MARTHA!" They both screamed as the vehicle zoomed away.

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Quickly making their way back to the streets, Rose could easily sense his frustration. Two strangers just kidnapped Martha and carjacked her, speeding away to somewhere. They made it back to the stalls and the Doctor walked up to the first one he saw, pounding on the top.

The vendor that came out was the one who sold the Forget patch to that young woman. "Thought you'd come back. Do you want some happy Happy?"

"Those people, who were they? Where did they take her?"

"They've taken her to the motorway," answered another vendor.

"Looked like carjackers to me."

"I'd give up now, darling. You won't see her again," another vendor spoke.

"Used to be thriving, this place. You couldn't move. But they all go to the motorway in the end."

"That woman said that," Rose cut in. "And the man said something about them needing three. What does that mean?"

"It's the car-sharing policy, to save fuel," the vendor answered. "You get special access if you're carrying three adults."

"This motorway," the Doctor said, "How do I get there?"

The vendor pointed in the direction. "Straight down the alley, keep going to the end. You canna miss it-"

Not wasting another second, they made their way down the alley while the vendor called from behind, "How about some happy Happy? Then you'll be smiling, my loves."

Stopping in his tracks, the Doctor turned to face all of the vendors. "Word of advice, all of you. Cash up, close down and pack your bags."

"Why's that, then?" one asked.

"Because as soon as we've found her, alive and well - and we will find her alive and well - then we're coming back, and this street is closing tonight!"

Rose inwardly jumped as he angrily raised his voice. An angry Doctor was _never_ good. Grabbing her hand, they made their way to the end of the alley until they found another door. Using the sonic, he got the door open and stepped through.

They found themselves standing on a platform by the motorway. Thousands, possibly more, cars were lined in the air in lanes in the middle of a traffic jam. Down below was nothing but smoke and probably a never-ending empty space. The exhaust fumes from the cars was too strong for them as they both began to cough and gasp for breath. Pulling their jackets over their noses in an attempt to help them proved to be useless. The Doctor brought Rose close to him, trying to shield her from most of the toxic fumes, but they were too strong, even his respiratory bypass wasn't effective at the moment, and that was bad.

Much to their need the car in front of them opened its side door. A man wearing a World War II pilot outfit complete with a helmet, goggles, and a scarf around his face stood at the doorway and shouted at them over the noisy back-up. "Hey, you daft little street struts! What are you doing standing there? Either get out or get in. Come on!"

Without hesitation the Doctor pushed Rose in first before following her as the man shut the door and sat back in the driver's seat. They still coughed roughly as they tried to catch their breaths and started wheezing. A dark haired woman sitting beside the man immediately reached beside her and pulled out two oxygen masks.

"Here you go." She stood up and placed them on their faces, both the Doctor and Rose nodded their heads in thanks as they started to regain their breath.

The man unwrapped the scarf from his face, which was revealed to be that of a cat's, which still seemed a bit surprising to Rose despite the fact she's seen them here before. "Just standing there, breathing it in! There's this story, says back in the old days, on Junction forty seven, this woman stood in the exhaust fumes for a solid twenty minutes. By the time they found her, her head had swollen to fifty feet," the man claimed.

The woman shook her head, rolling her eyes. "Oh, you're making it up."

"A fifty foot head! Just think of it. Imagine picking _that_ nose!"

"Oh, stop it. That's disgusting."

The man laughed. "What, did you never pick your nose?"

"Bran, we're moving!" The woman tapped his arm and pointed out the front window.

"Right. I'm on it." Shifting gears, the man moved up a short distance until coming to a stop behind the car in front of them. "Twenty yards, we're having a good day," he said with a chuckle before turning to the Doctor and Rose. "And who might you two be? Very well-dressed for hitchhikers."

Finally able to breathe, the Doctor took off his oxygen mask. "Thanks. Sorry, I'm the Doctor and this is Rose."

Rose waved as she took off hers. "Hello. Thanks so much!"

The man smiled. "Medical man! My name's Thomas Kincade Brannigan, and this is the bane of my life, the lovely Valerie," he introduced.

"Nice to meet you," Valerie said.

"And that's the rest of the family back there," Brannigan said, nodding his head to the back.

Turning around the Doctor pulled the curtain behind them aside and both he and Rose smiled at what was revealed - a basket of adorable little kittens meowing softly. One of which saying, 'mama.' "Awww," Rose cooed as she picked one up with a blue ribbon and pet it. "Hi, little one."

"Ah, that's nice," the Doctor said, chuckling. "Hello." He picked one up with a pink ribbon and also began to gently pet its head.

Rose couldn't help but feel her insides melt at the sight before her - the Doctor, the Oncoming Storm, a man who can strike fear into the hearts of many adversaries across the entire universe - holding a little kitten delicately in his arms. It was utterly adorable. She leaned over and whispered quietly, "Thought you weren't a cat person?"

He shot her a look but kept smiling as he turned back to the adults, still petting his kitten. "How old are they?" he asked Valerie, glancing up at her for a second.

"Just two months," she answered.

"Poor little souls. They've never known the ground beneath their paws," said Brannigan. "Children of the motorway."

"What, they were born in here?" Rose asked.

"We couldn't stop," Valerie told them. "We heard there were jobs going, out in the laundries on Fire Island. Thought we'd take a chance."

"Hold on, you've been driving for two months?" The Doctor asked.

Brannigan gave a short laugh. "Do I look like a teenager? We've been driving for twelve years now."

Rose's brows shot to her hairline. _"What!?"_

"It's true! Started out as newlyweds," Brannigan turned to his wife with a dreamy look on his face. "Feels like yesterday."

Valerie shook her head. "Feels like twelve years to me."

"Ah, sweetheart, but you still love me." He said as he started to tickle her, both of them giggling.

Rose couldn't help but smile at their obvious love for each other. Oddly enough it reminded her of she and the Doctor - without the marriage and children part. Given these circumstances this couple should be raving mad for being stuck on a motorway for twelve bloody _years_, but their love and admiration is what kept them hopeful and sane. Looking down at the kitten in her arms she could see it even clearer.

Beside her, the Doctor was still trying to understand what was going on. "Twelve _years_? How far did you come? Where did you start?"

"Battery Park. It's five miles back," Brannigan answered.

"You traveled _five miles_ in twelve years?"

Brannigan eyed his wife. "I think he's a bit slow."

The Doctor and Rose exchanged a shocked look before he turned and placed his kitten back in the basket with its siblings.

"Where are you from?" Valerie asked them.

"Never mind that, we've got to get out." The Doctor said as he moved to lean on the backs of the couple's seats to look out of the front window. "Our friend's in one of these cars. She was taken hostage," he glanced back at Rose. "We should get back to the TARDIS." Turning around he opened the door and saw that the platform was gone, then started to cough again from the fumes.

"You're too late for that. We've passed the lay-by," Brannigan told him. "You and your lady here are passengers now, Sonny Jim."

Shutting the door, he asked. "When's the next lay-by?"

Brannigan averted his gaze and swallowed. "Oh, six months?"

Rose stilled. _Six months!?_ There was no way they were going to stay here for that long. "I'm sorry, but please tell me you're kidding."

The man shook his head regretfully. "Sorry, dear."

"We haven't _got_ six months," the Doctor said.

"If you're that desperate you can try the police," Valerie offered, pointing to the back of the car. "The monitor's back there."

Locating it the Doctor moved to the back, Rose following. Using the sonic he turned the screen on and took the transmitter, speaking into it. "I need to talk to the police."

_**"Thank you for your call. You have been placed on hold," **_came an automatic computerized voice.

"Placed on hold?" Rose asked, confused.

The Doctor furrowed his brows at the screen before talking back into the transmitter. "But you're the police," he tried to reason.

_**"Thank you for your call. You have been placed on hold."**_

Rose sighed dramatically as she moved to place her kitten back in the basket. This was going to take a while - but hopefully _not_ six months.

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**If I was in this car, I wouldn't have put the kittens down, but that's just me ;) Review!**


	13. Gridlock Part 2

**A/N: Forgive me for not showing you what's going on with Martha 0_0 But if it helps at all, her situation didn't really change and basically follows like the actual episode. **

**So if you're a hard-core Martha fan, I'm sorry to disappoint you that this is a Martha-lite chapter :P I promise you'll see more of her in future chapters.**

**Anyways, thanks to those who've reviewed, followed, and faved! :D I adore each and every one of you ;)**

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_**Chapter 13: Gridlock Part 2**_

Letting out a growl of frustration, the Doctor gave up with the transmitter and any hopes of getting the police down here, and walked back to the front of the car. "Is there anyone else? I once met the Duke of Manhattan, is there any way of getting through to him?"

Brannigan raised his brows. "Oh, now, ain't you lordly?"

"Please, we really need to find our friend," Rose spoke up. "Who else can we call?"

Valerie turned and smiled sadly at them. "You can't make outside calls. The motorway's completely enclosed."

"What about the other cars?" the Doctor asked.

"Oh, we've got contact with them, yeah," Brannigan said. "Well, some of them, anyway. They've got to be on your friends list," he looked down at the screen before him, his finger hovering over as he searched. "Now, let's see. Who's nearby?" He stopped at a car number and exclaimed, "Ah, the Cassini sisters!" Pushing it, an image of two elderly women popped up, then he spoke into a transmitter, "Still your hearts, my handsome girls. It's Brannigan here."

"_**Get off the line, Brannigan. You're a pest and a menace**_**,**" one of the sisters responded.

"Oh, come on, now, sisters. Is that any way to talk to an old friend?"

"_**You know full well we're not sisters. We're married**_."

"Ooh, stop that modern talk. I'm an old-fashioned cat. Now, I've got a hitchhiker here, calls himself the Doctor."

Brannigan handed the transmitter off to the Doctor, who grabbed it impatiently. "Hello. Sorry. I'm looking for someone called Martha Jones. She's been carjacked. She's inside one of these vehicles, but I don't know which one."

_**"Wait a minute,"**_ said one of the voices. _**"Could I ask, what entrance did they use?"**_

The Doctor looked to Brannigan. "Where were we?"

"Pharmacy Town," he informed.

"Pharmacy Town, about twenty minutes ago," the Doctor told.

_**"Let's have a look,"**_ the voice said.

"_**Just my luck to marry a car spotter**_," the other voice said.

"_**In the last half hour, fifty-three new cars joined from the Pharmacy Town junction**_."

"Anything more specific?" he asked.

"_**All in good time**_," the voice said. "_**Was she car-jacked by two people?**_"

"Yes, she was, yeah," he said, a little chirp in his voice. Now they were getting somewhere - metaphorically speaking.

"_**There we are, just one of those cars was destined for the fast lane. That means they had three on board, and the car number is four six five diamond six.**_"

"That's it!" he exclaimed.

"So how do we find them?" Rose asked, moving to the front beside the Doctor, feeling a little bit hopeful.

_**"Ah now, there I'm afraid I can't help,"**_ the voice said.

_Well, that bit of hope was chucked_. Rose nodded at the transmitter. "We've got their number now, can we call them?"

"Not if they're designated fast lane," Brannigan said, shaking his head. "It's a different class."

"_**You could try the police**_," one of the voices suggested.

"They put us on hold," Rose told in the background. "What else can we do?"

"_**You'll have to keep trying. There's no one else.**_"

"Thank you," the Doctor said with a sigh as he handed back the transmitter. That didn't accomplish a lot, but at least they had the car number and location. Rose patted his arm comfortingly as his face hardened. "We've got to go to the fast lane. Take me down," the Doctor demanded.

"Not a million years," Brannigan replied.

"You've got more than three passengers!"

"I'm still not going."

"She's alone and she's lost. She doesn't belong on this planet, and it's all my fault. I'm asking you, Brannigan, take me down."

"That's a no, and that's final!" Valerie told him strictly, just like a mother and made Rose flinch inside. "I'm not risking the children down there. We're not discussing it, the conversation is closed."

"So we keep on driving?" the Doctor asked.

"Yes, we do," Brannigan said.

"But for how long?" Rose asked. Six months definitely wouldn't do them any good.

"Till the journey's end."

Neither would that. The Doctor let out a low growl as he reached over and grabbed the transmitter. "Mrs. Cassini, this is the Doctor. Tell me, how long have you been driving on the motorway?"

"_**Oh, we were amongst the first. It's been twenty three years now.**_"

"And in all that time, have you ever seen a police car?"

Rose leaned her head on his arm while waiting for a response. She knew exactly where he was going with this.

"_**I'm not sure**_," one of the Cassinis said.

"Look at your notes. Any police?"

There was a slight hesitation. "_**Not as such…**_"

"What about an ambulance?" Rose suggested.

The Doctor gave her a small smirk before adding on. "Yes, any ambulance? Rescue service? Anything official? Ever?"

"_**I can't keep a note of everything**_," the voice said.

The Doctor raised his brows in conclusion. "What if there's no one out there?"

Brannigan grabbed the transmitter from the Doctor with a frustrated expression. "Stop it. The Cassinis were doing you a favor."

"Someone's got to ask," the Doctor said, "Because you might not talk about it, but it's there in your eyes," he leaned closer to Brannigan. "What if the traffic jam never stops?"

He shook his head. "There's a whole city above us. The mighty city state of New New York. They wouldn't just leave us."

"In that case, where are they, hmm?" The Doctor pressed, raising his brows, as Brannigan watched him cautiously. "What if there's no help coming, not ever? What if there's nothing? Just the motorway, with the cars going round and round and round and round, never stopping. _Forever_."

"Shut up! Just shut up!" Valerie suddenly snapped.

All of a sudden the monitor turned on and a static image of the woman reporter from earlier appeared. _**"This is Sally Calypso, and it's that time again. The sun is blazing high in the sky over the New Atlantic, the perfect setting for the daily contemplation."**_

"You think you know us so well, Doctor," Brannigan said softly. "But we're not abandoned. Not while we have each other," he turned to his wife with a smile and reached for her hand.

"This is for all of you out there on the roads. We're so sorry. Drive safe."

A song began to play loudly spreading throughout the motorway. The soft melody combined with the many voices reciting every lyric blended together so beautifully, it sounded so full of…hope, like a hymn sung by a church choir bringing everyone together in unified harmony. Rose felt a stray tear fall from her eye as the soothing sounds went through her. It was a reminder that no one here was abandoned, no one was left alone.

For a few short moments a warm and welcoming sensation passed through the Doctor, which ultimately calmed him down a little from his tension of this whole situation. He didn't know for sure if these people were really abandoned, but by the looks of it they had to be. Months, years these citizens have been trapped on this motorway and yet to reach their destinations. Almost as if they've been forgotten. But even if they realized the truth of the matter, they stayed together and have each other hope. That's all anyone could ever want.

But now wasn't the time to become sentimental. He had a plan to save Martha. It really wasn't that safe, as usual, but he couldn't just stand around in a stationary vehicle on a jammed motorway. The Doctor turned to Rose just as she wiped a tear from her face. Of course this song was touching and emotional for her as well, they both can relate to it. It pained him that he had to get moving with his plan, but the sooner he acted the sooner they can get out of here.

Placing a hand on her arm, he brought her to the back of the car. The song was still playing but he could tell it was reaching its end, so he figured now would be the time to tell her his plan.

"Rose, listen I-"

"Lemme guess, you've got a plan and it involves me staying here while you go out and put yourself in danger."

He blinked. "Well…yes, actually. How'd you know?"

She snorted and crossed her arms over her chest, studying him with a hard look. "It's what you always do, isn't it? Come up with a dangerous albeit ridiculous plan to save the day, and then you just push me aside and discard me from helping."

He gave a small smile. "So you'll stay here, then?" he said with a hopeful tone.

"Not bloody likely," she responded with another snort.

Of course not, this was _Rose_, his brilliant, lovely, _stubborn_ Rose. The Doctor sighed and scrubbed a hand down his face. "Rose, you-"

"What? You always do this!" She spoke with thick irritation before putting on a mocking tone, "'Oh, Rose I've got this brilliant but highly dangerous plan to save everyone, but it's not safe for you, even though it isn't for me either, but you're human and I don't want you to do anything. Just stay here like a useless ape and wait for me.'" She returned to her normal voice. "Why can't you understand that I don't wanna just sit around and not help?"

The Doctor took a deep breath and kept it in. "First of all, don't _ever_ consider yourself to be useless, because you're _not_-"

"Then why can't I help?" She countered.

He inwardly rolled his eyes. This wasn't the time nor the place for this. He pulled her further back so that they wouldn't disturb the couple still singing along to the song. With his hands gently gripping her shoulders, he looked her straight in the eyes. "You know your safety is always my number one concern, even before my own, but _never_ say that you're useless and I don't appreciate you helping me. I _do_, Rose. You're sharp and strong - it's one of your most admirable qualities about you. But I need you to trust me that I'll be right back for you, just like I always do."

Rose arched a brow at him. "How long will it have to be, Doctor? Five and a half minutes? Hours? _Months_? How long?"

The Doctor shook his head. "Just trust me, Rose. The sooner I do this, the sooner we can get out of here. Believe me, I _strongly_ disagree with the idea of staying here for six months too - hell, I twitched after barely ten minutes! I know you hate it just as much as I do, but what I'm gonna do _is_ dangerous," he nodded over at a trapdoor on the floor, "I'm gonna jump down that door right there and work my way down to the fast lane. It's the only way since there's no movement up here."

Her eyes softened. "But…Doctor-"

"At least I have my respiratory bypass, so I won't be affected that much, but it's too toxic for you, and that's why you have to stay here. But I'll come back for you." He brought his hands up to cup her face and spoke softly. "I _always_ come back for you, no matter what. Why don't you trust me?"

Her hands came up to hold his wrists. "I _do_ trust you, Doctor. I trust you with my entire life. I just don't want anything to happen to you when I wasn't there to help." She closed her eyes for a moment and lowered her head. He understood exactly how she felt. If the roles were reversed surely he'd be the same, but he couldn't risk her health for this.

"Hey," he said softly, barely audible over the song still playing across the motorway as he lifted her head up. "Knowing that you'll be here safe and sound and not in any harm makes me more than all right, believe me." He leaned over to press a kiss to her forehead, keeping his lips there as she wrapped her arms around him.

The song finally ended as the people of the motorway finished off with a strong, gentle verse. Rose released herself from his arms. "Go. But if you come back in a month I'll climb down after you myself and slap you silly, toxic fumes or not" she said in a serious, yet joking tone.

He nodded with a smirk and gave her another kiss on the forehead before turning back to the couple. "Right then. If you won't take me, I'll go down on my own." Moving over to the small trapdoor he took out the sonic and tried to get it opened.

"What do you think you're doing?" Brannigan asked.

"Finding my own way. I usually do."

The door opened with a jerk as a computerized voice said, "_**Capsule open**_."

Pulling the hatch the Doctor saw a car stop directly under them. Taking a deep breath nervously through his nose, he let it out, and started to shrug off his coat, "Here we go. Look after this, Rose," He tossed his coat over to her. "I love that coat. Janis Joplin gave me that coat."

"Attachment," Rose mumbled.

He smiled at her. Yes, he had a special love for that coat, but nowhere near as much as the love he had for the one holding it. He turned back to the hosts. "Rose is going to stay here, and while she's fully capable of taking care of herself, I'd really appreciate it if you'd look after her as well. She could be a bit stubborn, and I don't want her to follow me. So, if you have to, hold her down." He shot her an innocent look and he grinned when she rolled her eyes playfully at him and snorted.

"But you can't jump!" Valerie shouted fearfully.

"If it's any consolation, Valerie, right now, I'm having kittens," he said, looking down.

"This Martha…" Brannigan said, "She must mean an awful lot to you two."

Rose shook her head. "We hardly know her."

The Doctor looked up at them. "I was too busy showing off, and I lied to her. Couldn't help it, just lied," he raised his brows, "Bye then!" He climbed down until he was hanging from the door, his target directly beneath him.

Just as he was about to jump down, he noticed Rose coming to crouch in front of him. "You come back in one piece, ya hear?"

He grinned widely. "Yes, sir."

She bent down to place a soft kiss on his forehead. With a smile and a wink he let go of the car and jumping down to the one below.

Rose, Valerie and Brannigan watched as he landed. "He's completely insane!" Valerie exclaimed.

Brannigan nodded. "That…and a bit magnificent!"

"That's the Doctor," Rose said with a smile as she saw him gaze up at her quickly from his crouched position to blow her a kiss. She brought her hand up to catch it, holding it to her chest then shut the trapdoor before the fumes came in.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The Doctor landed with a slight thud on his feet on top of the car beneath Brannigan and Valerie's. Crouching down he pulled out his sonic to immediately start on the door. He looked up for a second and saw Rose smiling down at him. Matching her grin he lifted the hand not holding the sonic up to his lips and blew her a kiss. He chuckled as she caught and held it to her chest before shutting the trapdoor.

_**"Capsule open."**_

Popping up the hatch, he dropped down into the car, startling a man with the palest skin tone. "Who the hell are you?"

"Sorry, Motorway Foot Patrol," the Doctor responded quickly, "We're doing a survey. How are you enjoying the motorway?"

He crouched down to work on the next door as the man answered. "Well, not very much. Junction Five's been closed for _three_ years!"

The door popped. "Thank you, your comments have been noted. Have a nice day!"

He continued on to the next car, and already felt the fumes get to him. Jumping down into the car he startled two Asian girls.

"Thank you for your cooperation, your comments have been noted," he spotted a purple handkerchief and picked it up, tying it around his face as a mask to shield himself from the fumes. "Mind if I borrow this?" The girls stared at him, so he just gave them a thumbs up before dropping down to the next car.

"Oh!" the Doctor exclaimed, quickly averting his gaze as he dropped in on two _very_ naked passengers. "Don't mind me," he said, blindly opening the next hatch.

The next car was occupied by a man with a crimson red skin tone, who the Doctor simply saluted before continuing to the next car.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Rose sat on the small cot in the corner at the back of the car by the basket of kitten, gently scratching one behind the ear. As much as she hated being left out of the Doctor's plans, she always knew he did it out of the goodness and concern in his hearts to keep her safe. It was something he had promised her, her mother, and of course himself. Irritating as it may be she'll always respect and love him for his protection of her - though she does wish she was always there to help him if he needed it.

"So how long have you two been married?" Valerie asked with a smile, bringing her out of her thoughts.

"Sorry?"

"You're married aren't you?" The woman said, indicating Rose's hand, "You're wearing a ring, and I thought I saw one on the Doctor's hand, too,"

Looking down at her hand, Rose saw that she was in fact still wearing the ring the Doctor had given her to don while pretending to be husband and wife. She marveled at how he told her he had engraved the inscriptions in it himself, the words that he had admitted to her. Of course he said these words couldn't really be said in any human language - only in his own - which all the more made it special to her. Just keeping it on felt…natural. She hadn't noticed if the Doctor was still wearing his, either. Had he forgotten to take it off as well?

"Oh, we're not _really_ married," she said.

"Really? Could've fooled me. I'm sorry, I just assumed." Valerie answered.

"No, it's okay. I mean, we're _together_, but not married," Rose clarified.

"Ah, I see. Afraid of taking that big step?"

That thought crossed her mind a couple times before, but she never knew exactly if he really was. Yes, they finally committed themselves to having a relationship - _finally_ - and that was a _huge leap_ in of itself, but how much would he really commit to her? They really didn't have to wed since they already promised forever together…but the thought tickled her insides.

"It's…complicated," she answered truthfully, yet it still felt lamely. Valerie nodded with an understanding smile.

A drilling noise suddenly came from above them. Sparks flew from the trapdoor at the top of the car.

Brannigan rolled his eyes and groaned. "Just what we need - pirates!"

Valerie grabbed the transmitter. "I'm calling the police!"

"Yeah, fat lot of good that'll be," Rose scoffed.

The sparks stopped as the door fell from the roof as a figure dressed in white hung upside down facing the front of the car. "Where is he? Where is the Doctor?" the figure demanded, flipping into the car.

Rose stared at the back of the figure. That voice, those clothes, it was…oh no. But she was arrested! "No, don't tell her anything! She's deceiving!"

The figure turned to her and wore a cloth around their face for the fumes outside, but the eyes were very noticeable. Then when the figure removed it Rose was confirmed of her guess of who it was: one of the cat nuns that helped process those diseased humans. "Oh, Rose Tyler," the nun said with a sigh of relief. "I was expecting you, but I thought you would to be with the Doctor."

Rose eyed her warily. "Well he's not here, so go back to playing with your ball of string," she paused when she realized what she said, "No offense, Brannigan."

"Ah, it's no trouble, my dear," the cat man assured.

The nun chuckled. "He did say that you were a feisty one."

Rose furrowed her brows in confusion. "What? Who said that?"

"I'll explain everything later, there's no time right now. We have to go."

"'M not going with you, after everything you've done."

"Please Miss Tyler, this is important. I promise to find the Doctor and bring him to you, but right now we have to leave." Stepping forward, the nun grabbed Rose's wrist and pressed a button on her band. "Transport."

"Wait, no-"

In a flash, a bright light shone and they vanished, leaving Brannigan to say to his wife, "What a great and completely crazy day we're having!"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The Doctor jumped down onto another car, coughing and wheezing. Though his respiratory bypass was fighting against the toxins he was inhaling and giving him an upper hand, the smog was thickening the further he went down to the lower levels, making it harder to move quickly. The handkerchief tied around his face was also proving to be ineffective as the fumes burned his throat and chest.

But if Rose had come with him, she'd definitely be in much worse shape than him, which would be more of an issue and all the more reason why she needed to stay inside the car safely. Popping up the next door he dropped down into the car, startling a man dressed in a suit and bowl hat.

"Excuse me, is that legal?" the man asked, looking up at the open door from the driver's seat.

Removing the handkerchief from his face, the Doctor addressed the man. "Sorry, Motorway Foot Patrol," he choked out in a cough, waving his hand to skip the introduction. "Whatever. Have you got any water?"

"Certainly." The man reached over to a water cooler and filled a cone shaped cup before handing it to him. "Never let it be said I've lost my manners."

Taking the cup the Doctor downed the drink in one gulp, taking a few deep breaths before finally asking, "Is this the last layer?"

"We're right at the bottom. Nothing below us but the fast lane," the man said.

"Can we drive down?"

"There's only two of us. You need three to go down."

"Couldn't we just cheat?" the Doctor asked.

"Well, I'd love to, but it's an automated system," the man said, nodding to the steering wheel, "The wheel would lock."

"If you'll excuse me." Running over to the floor hatch he took out the sonic and popped it open to look down.

"You can't jump, it's a thousand feet down!" The man exclaimed.

"No, I just want to look." He squinted his eyes to peer through the thick smog. There were small flickering off dim lights behind the clouds, then an unnatural screeching from down below. "What's that noise?"

"I try not to think about it," the man said.

"What are those lights? What's down there?" He tried to look deeper but wound up coughing again. He waved his hand in front of his face to fan out the smoke. "I just need to see."

He jumped up and ran to the front of the car to poke the sonic at the screen. "There must be some sort of ventilation. If I could just transmit a pulse through this thing, maybe I could trip the system, give us a bit of a breeze."

Leaning underneath the console, the Doctor used the sonic to work on the exposed wires, splicing them in different directions until the air vents outside jerked and hissed. "That's it!" he cried. "Might shift the fumes a bit, give us a good look."

He came out from under the tangled wires and ran back over to the hatch, looking down as the smoke began to thin out.

The man joined him. "What are those shapes?"

Large claws rose from below, snapping. "They're alive," the Doctor said.

"What the hell are they?"

His expression hardened as he observed the the large, crablike creatures. "Macra."

"Macra?" The man repeated. "What are they?"

"The Macra used to be the scourge of this galaxy," the Doctor explained. "Gas. They fed off gas, the filthier the better. They built up a small empire using humans as slaves and mining gas for food."

"They don't exactly look like empire-builders to me."

"Well, that was billions of years ago. _Billions_. They must've devolved down the years and now they're just beasts. But they're still hungry…and Martha's down there."

A sudden loud thud on the roof of the car got both if their attention. The hatch opened up and a pair of feet dangled inside. "Oh, it's like New Times Square in here, for goodness's sake!" The man cried.

The Doctor stood and came forward to the door. "I've invented a sport!"

The figure dropped down wearing a long white gown and headpiece, holding a gun in their hands. They turned around and looked up at him, the Doctor telling right away it was a cat judging by the eyes and alight glimpse of the face underneath the cloth covering them up. "Doctor, you're a hard man to find," she said.

The man noticed the gun and panicked. "No guns! I'm not having guns!"

"I only brought this in case of pirates," the cat said before turning back to the Doctor. "Doctor, you've got to come with me."

"Do I know you?" he asked.

"You haven't aged at all," she complimented, removing her mask. "Time has been less kind to me."

Staring at her for a moment, he finally recognized the cat. He grinned and threw his arms around her. "Novice Hame!" _Wait a minute…_ "No, hold on, get off," he backed away from her with a now grim expression. "Last time we met, you were breeding humans for experimentation."

"I've sought forgiveness, Doctor, for so many years, under his guidance," she told him. "And if you come with me, I might finally be able to redeem myself."

"I'm not going anywhere," he said, pointing down to the open hatch showing below the motorway. "You've got Macra living underneath this city. _Macra_! And if Martha is still alive, she's stuck down there!"

"You've got to come with me right now!" she pleaded.

"No, no, no, you're coming with _me_. We've got three passengers now."

"I'm sorry, Doctor, but the situation is even worse than you can imagine." She grabbed his wrist and pressed a button on her wristband. "Transport."

"Don't you dare!" But he was too late as a bright light shone around them before vanishing.


	14. Gridlock Part 3

**A/N: The feels, they hit me. I know a bunch of you were excited to see the Face of Boe, so hopefully you enjoy his cameo. **

**Thank you all for viewing the story! You're great motivation ;)**

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

_**Chapter 14: Gridlock Part 3**_

Rose opened her eyes with a groan as she tried to sit up from where she lay, her head whirling around in a wave of dizziness in the process. For a moment she forgot where she was but remembered being in the car with Brannigan and Valerie until the cat nun broke in and - _oh, that cat nun!_ Now she remembered. She was transported somewhere, and this must have been the place. But where exactly _was_ it?

Looking around she saw nothing but darkness with a dim light shining over her. A cold chill ran down her spine, telling her that something was wrong with this place. It looked like she was in a hall of some sorts, but it appeared much larger. Maybe a courtroom? If the lights were a little brighter, she might be able to tell.

What she could make out were silhouettes of motionless figures sitting in bleachers, most of them appearing to be hunched over. _That's one bad sign._ Getting up to her feet, she backed up and heard something crunch under her foot. She looked down and flinched when she saw a skeletal hand along with its entire bony form.

Oh, this _really_ isn't good.

Swallowing past her nervousness, Rose called out into the silence. "Hello?" No response except for her echo in the quiet hall. Was she alone? She tried again, "Hello, is anyone there? Uh, cat…nun?"

"_Rose Tyler_," a deep voice breathed out.

Rose whipped her head around at the sound of her name being called. That didn't sound like any cat nun. "Who are you?"

"_Oh, an old friend_."

Well, that narrowed it down. "Okay…then how come I don't recognize your voice?"

The voice let out a breathy chuckle. "_Times change, my dear, as well as physicality. But we've met_."

Yeah, that still wasn't helping her. "Show yourself. Where are you?"

"_I'm just over here._ _Follow the sound of my voice_," it breathed out.

Rose began to walk in the direction of the mysterious voice, who apparently was an 'old friend', shakily. She was more than unsure about who this person was. Was it someone from the future? Walking into the room next to the hall she found herself in, she gasped at who the voice came from.

"_Hello, Rose_," he greeted.

"The Face of Boe," Rose said, stepping closer to the giant face. As she knelt down in front of him, she put a hand softly against his glass case, ignoring the faint twitch she felt inside when she made contact.

She had only met him one other time at the end of the universe. He was also in the hospital from their last visit to New Earth, but at that time her head was occupied by a certain bitchy trampoline, making her memories all fuzzy. Though she hadn't really had a chance to really get to know him or meet him properly, something was itching in the back of her head, like…she couldn't describe it, but it seemed to be reassuring in some way.

Still though, by the looks of him he looked sickly. "What's wrong? Are you feeling okay?"

_"I'm feeling much better now that you're here, Miss Tyler,"_ Boe said.

"What happened? What's going on with the motorway?"

"_I will explain the problem at hand soon, but there's not much time. I need to tell you something important, Rose. Something only for you to know."_

"Me? But we hardly know each other," she said with a short laugh, "I mean, I never got to speak to you the first time at…well, the 'End of the World' party, and I had a flab of skin takin' over my mind the last time I saw you." She realized something. "Wait a minute, were _you_ the one that said I was feisty? How did you…?"

"_Trust me, we know each other very well, my dear_," Boe assured with a chuckle. "_And that is why you must listen to what I'm about to tell you_."

Rose nodded hesitantly. "I'm listening."

"_No matter what happens in the future, you must promise me one thing, Rose: Don't give up on the Doctor, and never lose hope_."

Her breath hitched. "Why would I ever give up on the Doctor?"

"_Things happen, my dear. Things we do not know if they will or not. But one does not know what the future lies_."

She smiled. "The Doctor does, most of the time. And so do you."

Boe chuckled again. "_That is true, but no one knows every detail of their own lifetime, especially the days to come up until it will end. Anything is possible when Time is constantly in a state of flux._"

She paused for a second. "Is he okay? I mean, does he know I'm here? That _you're_ here?"

"_He will join us shortly_," Boe said. "_That's why I needed to talk with you first. I've been expecting you both for a long time now_."

Rose felt a slight uneasiness come over her insides, her worst fears coming to her mind. She needed to know, even if she didn't get a straight answer. "Boe…is something gonna happen to the Doctor? To me?"

"_As I said many things are possible, Rose. Things that are difficult to explain, difficult to answer. I apologize for not being thorough. Just promise me to never give up on the Doctor_."

Barely containing her nervousness at his words, she managed to speak her next words evenly. "I never would. I'll always believe in him. I made that promise a long time ago, and I'm never gonna break it."

_"I'm aware of that promise, but I still want you say it."_

She furrowed her brows. "Y-you are? How?"

Boe just chuckled. "_If I told you that then it would spoil the surprise. Just say it to me, Rose. I need to hear you swear on that promise."_

Not even dwelling on what exactly the 'surprise' was, she told him firmly. "I promise to never give up on the Doctor, no matter what."

"_Thank you, my dear. You're a very good girl, and he is truly grateful to have you. Because know this, Rose Tyler: you are worth fighting for."_

Rose smiled shyly at Boe's words - words she had heard once before. "A friend of mine once said that to me. He told me that the last time I saw him." She could remember it as plain as day. Back on the Game Station with the Doctor in his previous body and Jack. That was the last time she had seen him, and how much she missed his charismatic self.

Maybe one day they could visit him, though she was unsure if the Doctor would want to meet that wonderful Time Agent. He told her he was busy rebuilding the Earth, but that could've just been the excuse he gave not to see him. She never asked because she felt a strange feeling deep inside at the thought of Captain Jack, but still wished to know what outlandish adventures he's been up to.

"_Perhaps you will meet again_," Boe said evenly as if he was her thoughts.

"Yeah, I hope so," she said with a smile.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Rough teleport…" the Doctor commented with a groan as he sat up on the ground. He hated that method of transportation with a passion, and now he was even more frustrated that he was taken away from coming close to saving Martha, not to mention Rose was probably itching in the car thinking about following him the longer she waited for him.

"Ow…" Slowly rising to his feet he turned to Hame. "But you can go straight back down and teleport people out, starting with Martha and then Rose!"

"I've already brought Rose," she said.

His brows furrowed. "What? Where is she, what have you done to her?" he demanded.

Before the cat nun could answer he saw someone enter the room from next door. "Doctor?"

"Rose!" His face lit up as they ran towards each other for a hug. "You just couldn't stay in the car, could you?" he teased.

"No, but I wasn't expecting to be transported here either," she said.

Releasing her, the Doctor turned back to Hame. "Right. Well, you've got one of my companions, now go down for our friend."

"I only had the power for two trips," she told him regretfully.

"Then get some more!" he shouted, taking in their surroundings. "Where are we?"

"High above in the over-city."

"Good! Cos you can tell the Senate of New New York I'd like a word. They've got thousands of people trapped on the motorway! _Millions!"_

Rose tapped his arm. "Doctor I don't think that'll do any good," she said softly.

He looked at her. "What do you mean?"

"You're inside the Senate, right now," Hame said. "May the goddess Santori bless them."

His gaze turned to the hall and was shocked at the grim sight. What used to be a grand chamber thriving with official members of the Senate was now full of rotted skeletons. The Doctor silently walked towards one on the ground and knelt beside it. "How long's it been like this?" he asked softly.

"Twenty-four years," Hame answered.

"_All_ of them? Everyone?" He raised his head to look at the cat nun. "What happened?"

"A new chemical - a new mood," she bent down and removed a dried up patch from the skeleton. "They called it Bliss. Everyone tried it, they couldn't stop. A virus mutated inside the compound and became airborne. Everything perished, even the virus, in the end. It killed the world in seven minutes flat."

"Oh, my God," Rose breathed out quietly as Hame continued.

"There was just enough time to close down the walkways and the flyovers, sealing off the under-city. Those people on the motorway aren't lost, Doctor. They were saved."

"So the whole thing down there is running on automatic?" he asked in realization.

"There's not enough power to get them out. We did all we could to stop the system from choking."

"Who's 'we'?" he asked. "How did you survive?"

"He protected me," she said with a smile. "And he has waited for you, these long years."

"We've been expected," Rose told him softly.

Before he could ask again who, his name was called by a low, familiar voice. "_Doctor_."

Turning his head around at the sound, he glanced at Rose as she smiled at him and took his hand, leading him around the corner into the next room. "The Face of Boe!" He said happily as he ran over to his glass chamber and knelt before him.

"_I knew you would come_," Boe said.

"Back in the old days, I was made his nurse as penance for my sins," Hame told, joining them.

"Old friend, what happened to you?" he asked softly, placing a hand gently on the glass case.

"_Failing_," Boe breathed out.

"He protected me from the virus by shrouding me in his smoke," Hame said. "But with no one to maintain it, the City's power died. The under-city would have fallen into the sea."

"So he saved them," the Doctor said in realization.

"Every single one of them," Rose said.

"The Face of Boe wired himself into the mainframe," Hame explained. "He's giving his life force just to keep things running."

It amazed Rose at what they were told. He was using his entire life as a power source to make sure none of those people stuck on the motorway would fall. Despite that he was weakening more and more by the minute he was determined to keep these people safe. This enigmatic being was so much like the Doctor it's no wonder why she had such respect for him.

Taking all of this in, the Doctor was still confused about something. "But there are planets out there. You could have called for help."

"The last act of the Senate was to declare New Earth unsafe. The automatic quarantine lasts for one hundred years," Hame said.

Still looking at the Face of Boe, the Doctor stood up to walk over to Novice Hame. "So the two of you stayed here," he said. "On your own, for all these years."

"We had no choice," she said sadly.

He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Yes, you did."

Rose stepped over to them and placed a hand on her arm. "You did all you could to keep them safe. You made a wise choice."

"_Save them, Doctor_," Boe breathed. "_Save them_."

"Oh, just you watch me," the Doctor said, running over to a monitoring screen. Taking out his glasses his eyes were focused on the task at hand as he plugged in information.

"Car Four Six Five Diamond Six - it still registers! That's Martha," he cried happily when he found the car he was looking for. He turned to the cat nun pointing at a machine. "Novice Hame, hold that in place," he ran over to her and handed her a thick tube before turning to Rose, "Rose, those wires there, hold them in place," he indicated the wires before running over to a control box. "Think, think, think. Take the residual energy, invert it, feed it through the electricity beds."

"There isn't enough power," Hame cried.

"Ah, you've got power!" he said, darting over to the other side of the room to a control panel. "You've got me! I'm brilliant with computers, just you watch," he pointed at another panel, "Hame, every switch on that bank, up to maximum!" He jumped up to dash over to a console and used the sonic. "I can't power up the city, but all the city needs is people."

"So what are you going to do?" Rose asked as he ran over to another switch.

"This!" he cried with a wide grin, flipping it - which made all of the lights go out. "No, no, no, no, no, no! The transformers are blocked. The signal can't get through," he waved the sonic over at another set of controls, trying as hard as he can to restore the power.

"_Doctor_…" the Face of Boe said.

"Yeah, hold on, not now," he said impatiently before yelling over his shoulder, "Rose, drop the wires and keep a hold on that switch."

She did as told and watched Boe on the side carefully. He wasn't looking very good at the moment, but he still wanted to help. "Doctor," she said, trying to get his attention.

"Just keep it down," he directed, "The signal should get through, just hold on."

"_I give you my last_…" Boe began, but finished with a long, raspy breath as he closed his eyes. In a second the lights all over the room and console lit up as the power came back on.

Looking around the Doctor jumped up and ran over to a console. "Hame, look after him!" he ordered. "Don't you go dying on me, you big old face! You've got to see this," grabbing two thick outlets he brought them together and cried happily when he flipped the switch again. "The open road. Ha!"

Rose ran over to the Doctor and hugged him from behind. "You did it!"

He turned around in her embrace and returned it. "No, _we_ did it," he said smiling.

"Just like always," she said.

"Oh, yes," he pressed a kiss to her hair before releasing her. "Let's get those people out of the dark and into the light!"

He ran over to the transmitter and made a public announcement on the holographic screen to be seen in the cars. "Sorry, no Sally Calypso," he said. "She was just a hologram. My name's the Doctor, and this is an order: Everyone drive up right now. I've opened the roof of the motorway. Come on. Throttle those engines!"

Rose clapped her hands beside him. "Drive up! All of you, drive up!"

He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and brought her into the holographic screen. "Come on, fast! We've got to clear that fast lane. Drive up and get out of the way. Oi! Car Four Six Five Diamond Six!" the Doctor called out. "Martha! Drive up! You've got access above!" the Doctor said on screen. "Now go!"

"Come on, Martha!" Rose urged. "Drive up!"

They both watched the screens happily as the symbols on the screen showing the cars moving at a fast rate and out of the motorway.

Another voice came through the transmitter. _**"Did I tell you, Doctor? You're not bad, sir. You're not bad at all!"**_ It was Brannigan.

"You keep driving, Brannigan," he said, grinning into the transmitter. "All the way up! Cos it's here, just waiting for you." He strolled over to the window with Rose at his side and gazed out at the beautiful scenery, holding her close. "The city of New New York. And it's yours. Oh, and you've got something of mine…my coat," he said.

"Oops," Rose chuckled. "I left it on the cot. Sorry."

He smiled at her. "Nah, it's not your fault. I'm sure you looked after it well before you vanished into thin air," he said quietly as she giggled before addressing Brannigan again. "I'll be needing that back, if you would be so kind."

_**"I reckon that's a fair bargain, sir,"**_ Brannigan said with a laugh. **_"And we see how you've retrieved something else of yours that means a lot to you - or I should say some_one_."_**

The Doctor looked down and nuzzled Rose's hair. "Yes, I have."

"Thanks for everything, Brannigan and Valerie!" Rose called out. "Take care of the kids,"

_**"The pleasure was ours,"**_ they heard Valerie say.

"And Car Four Six Five Diamond Six, I've sent you a flight path as well," he said. "Come to the Senate."

_**"On my way!"**_ Martha happily called on another end.

"It's been quite a while since we saw you, Martha Jones" he said softly.

Rose turned around and gasped just as Novice Hame cried, "Doctor!"

He spun around and saw the glass case around the Face of Boe begin to crack.

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Martha finally made to the Senate and breathed a sigh of relief. As hectic as this day had been for her, she felt sympathy for the couple that had taken her. They weren't bad people, just desperate to get to where they were going, just like the rest of the people that were trapped on the motorway.

Running inside, she found herself in a large hall of some kind and stopped when she saw a skeleton laying on the ground. It couldn't be…she had heard someone yell his name before his transmitter cut out, but it still couldn't be him.

"Doctor?" She asked shakily.

"Over here," he called out evenly from the other room.

Her mood lifted again at the sound if his voice. When she entered the room and saw both of her friends crouched on the ground unharmed. "Doctor! Rose! What happened out there?" She stopped when she approached them and stared at what was a giant face laying in front of them. "What's that?"

Rose, who was stroking its cheek, lifted her head to look at her. "It's the Face of Boe," she answered, nodding her head. "It's all right, come here and say hello."

"And this is Hame," the Doctor said nodding over to the person on the other side of them. "She's a cat, don't worry." Dropping that, he turned his attention back to the face. "He's the one that saved you, not me."

Martha came over and slowly bent down between the cat nun and the Doctor. "Hi," she breathed out.

"My lord gave his life to save the city, and now he's dying," Hame told her.

"No, don't say that," the Doctor denied with an even tone. "Not old Boe. Plenty of life left."

"_It's good to breathe the air once more…_" Boe rasped out a breath. "_To see your faces_."

"Who is he?" Martha asked in wonder.

The Doctor glanced up at her. "I don't even know," he admitted. "Legend says the Face of Boe has lived for billions of years," he looked back down at the being. "Isn't that right? And you're not about to give up now."

"_Everything has its time. You know that, old friend, better than most_."

"The legend says more…" Hame began.

The Doctor glanced up at her with a slight hard look. "Don't. There's no need for that."

She hadn't taken his words and just continued. "It says that the Face of Boe will speak his final secret to a traveler."

"Yeah, but not yet. Who needs secrets, eh?"

"_I have seen so much. Perhaps too much. I am the last of my kind, as you are the last of yours, Doctor._"

Rose looked over and saw his face soften. She fought back on the tears stinging in her eyes. Both he and the Face of Boe were similar in many ways - so much was hidden deeply behind their eyes, so much pain, and loss, among other things they've seen over the course of their long lives.

"That's why we have to survive," he said with a shaken up voice. "Both of us. Don't go."

"_I must_." Boe glanced over to Rose. "_Remember what I told you, Rose. Keep that promise."_

She nodded. "I will, always." Though she kept her eyes on Boe she easily felt the Doctor's eyes staring at her with a confused expression, as well as Martha's and Hame's. She felt a blush creeping onto her cheeks. Maybe she heard that only in her mind.

Boe chuckled, his large eyes still focused on her. "_I __**did**__ only say that to you specifically, Rose. Thank you, my dear. I know that you will_." He turned his attention to the Doctor and spoke aloud. "_But know this, Time Lord: You are not alone_."

And with that the Face of Boe closed his eyes and breathed his final breath. The tears Rose had been holding in began to fall slowly down her face. Though she may not know who this being really was, who assured her that they _were_ old friends and knew each very well, she couldn't help but feel a little peaceful inside as she smiled sadly. Glancing up at the Doctor she saw the heartbreaking expression on his face mix with one of confusion.

Looking at the Face of Boe as he finally passed on, the Doctor couldn't help but feel a little disappointed by the ambiguity of his final words: 'You are not alone.' What had he meant by that? There was no one else. That gaping hole may never be filled again. Of course when he felt a certain familiar hand grip his own he knew for a fact he wasn't _truly_ alone. He did have Rose with him to stay forever which was all the reassurance he needed, but deep down there was still that hole that ached to be filled by something more, something he would never get back. So what could Boe have meant?

Glancing over at Rose he saw the tears flowing freely down her face and gave her hand a comforting squeeze. He stood to his feet and held her close to his chest. He brought his other arm around Martha and held her as well while his gaze fixed on the Face of Boe. After a moment, they left the Senate to allow Novice Hame to grieve in private.

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Making it back down to Pharmacy Town, they met up with Brannigan and Valerie again who returned the Doctor's coat and gave their thanks for everything he had done. After exchanging hugs and handshakes with them they made their way back to the TARDIS.

Rose had noticed that the Doctor had been relatively quiet since they left the Senate, and she knew exactly why. He was dwelling on Boe's words that he wasn't alone and wondering what it had meant. She herself wondered about them. Oddly enough, she felt like Boe wasn't referring to her. Surely enough it couldn't be Gallifrey, could it? It was a mystery they might not ever solve for once.

"All closed down," the Doctor declared as they walked down the alley and saw that the vendors have taken their leave, their boxes emptied.

"Happy?" Martha asked.

"Happy happy," he replied. "New New York can start again, and they've got Novice Hame. Just what every city needs - cats in charge."

"Better that then any flab of skin, eh?" Rose said lightly.

A brief smile grazed his lips. "Yeah." Tugging on her hand and nodding to Martha he said, "Come on, time we were off."

Martha came to a stop. "But what did he mean, the Face of Boe? 'You're not alone'."

The Doctor shook his head with a shrug but squeezed Rose's hand. "I don't know."

"You've got me and Rose," she said with a light smile. "Is that what he meant?"

He smiled back at her, but sadly "I don't think so. Sorry."

"Then what?"

"Doesn't matter," he turned around and tugged Rose's hand again to keep walking. "Back to the TARDIS, off we go." After a few steps they heard a scraping of something against the street. Spinning around they saw Martha sitting on a fold up chair with her arms and legs crossed and a questioning eyebrow arched. "All right, are you staying?" The Doctor asked, eyeing her suspiciously.

"Til you talk to me properly, yes," she answered with an irritated tone. "He said last of your kind. What does that mean?"

"Martha, please just leave it," Rose said.

"Why?" She demanded.

"It _really_ doesn't matter," the Doctor told her.

"You don't talk!" She flitted her eyes between the both of them. "Either of you, you never say anything. Why not?" The tension in the air thinned out when the sound of singing and music echoed into the city. "It's the city," Martha said softly. "They're singing."

Rose felt that warm and calm feeling rise inside herself at the sound of the beautiful hymn again. Something inside her Just lifted inside of her, almost wanting to come out. Letting go of the Doctor's hand she went over to the corner and retrieved another chair, placing it down in front of Martha before sitting on it. "I'm sorry we haven't been open with you, but there are reasons why we never say anything. Things have happened that hurt both of us that can be too painful to talk about."

She took in a shaky breath, fighting the tears that started to mist in her eyes. Her composure was regained when she felt a little comfort as the Doctor stood behind her and placed his hands behind her neck, caressing her skin softly. Letting out her shuddering breath, she finally went on. "I just lost my mum recently," she began. "She's not dead, she's still alive. It's just that…she's far away, too far away for us to ever see each other again. She was the only real family I had left, but now everyone's gone."

There was a pause for silence until Martha smiled sympathetically and said softly, "I'm so sorry for your loss. Thank you for telling me."

Rose nodded and kept her head low, twiddling her thumbs before bringing one of them to her mouth to chew her nail. From behind her, the Doctor could easily tell she was on the verge of tears again. She only did that nail biting thing when she was upset, and the pain was still fresh. It was difficult to mention any of this, yet she still found the courage to let it out. Something he never was able to do for himself.

With the courage radiating off of Rose combined with the melodic hymn filling the air, the Doctor finally found the urge to speak. "I lied to you, because I liked it," he admitted to Martha, his eyes lifting to the sky. "I could pretend. Just for a bit, I could imagine they were still alive, underneath a burnt orange sky." His gaze lowered back down to Martha's. "I'm not just a Time Lord - I'm the last of the Time Lords," he paused to swallow past the lump growing in his throat. "The Face of Boe was wrong. There's no one else."

"What happened?" Martha asked quietly.

The Doctor lifted his hands from Rose's neck and walked over to grab a chair of his own. He moved it next to Rose and sat down, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. "There was a war - a Time War," he started. "The last Great Time War. My people fought a race called the Daleks, for the sake of all creation. And we lost. They lost - _everyone_ lost." He paused for a second. "They're all gone now. My family, my friends, even that sky."

He turned his head to the side away from the girls and smiled sadly, tears brimming his eyes as he reminisced about home. "Oh, you should have seen it, that old planet." His lips trembled as he fought to keep them upward, forcing unshed tears back behind his eyes, but felt himself start to break. That was when he felt a familiar hand gripping his tightly. His wonderful Rose, always there to hold him through the pain. He turned back to them as he continued. "The second sun would rise in the south, and the mountains would shine. The leaves on the trees were silver, and when they caught the light every morning, it looked like a forest on fire. When the autumn came, the breeze would blow through the branches like a song…"

The girls listened intently as the Doctor described Gallifrey. Rose gave his hand an occasional squeeze whenever he began to choke up mid-sentence. While it was difficult for her to talk about her own personal sadness, it was nothing compared to the collateral damage that the Doctor had embedded deep inside. His was more of a tragedy which was why he always brushed the topic aside before it could be discussed. But now he was opening up a little more and she couldn't help but smile warmly at him for overcoming his painful memories.

It was an accomplishment not only for Martha, but for the both of them.

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Finally the three travelers made it back to the TARDIS in calm silence after the Doctor finished describing the beauty of Gallifrey. Once inside they insisted that Martha should get some rest after the exciting and chaotic day she had. Leading her through the many corridors of the TARDIS, Rose told her about how the ship works and how you could find any room by telling Her. Seeming to understand the basic, if not impossible, mechanisms she found a guest room and took a well deserved rest.

When she left Martha to her room, Rose sat on the jump seat in the console room and studied the Doctor as he stood with his back to her and fiddled with controls. Never had she heard him open up as much as he did today, and she couldn't help but love and respect him even more for doing something willfully and hard with such strength. He may have reopened some deep wounds, but he found the courage to talk, and it was beautiful.

Standing to her feet, she came up to him from behind and wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her head between his shoulder blades. She felt his body rise when he took in a deep breath then fall when he released it slowly and relaxed in her embrace. Rose pressed a light kiss to his back before nuzzling the spot, the soft cotton of his jacket brushing against her cheek. His hands stilled before they left the console and made their way to land over her arms encircling him, gently tracing them with his fingers.

Turning his body around the Doctor returned the gesture and wrapped his arms around her, burying his face in the crook of her neck as he held her close and breathed in her sweet scent before placing a light kiss to her soft spot by her pulse point. He let out a content sigh as he lost himself in her embrace. No words needed to be said. This was all that he wanted, no _needed,_ at the moment.

He may have been describing his home to both women, but right here was all the home he could ever want and have - in the TARDIS and in Rose Tyler's arms.

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**Review! ;)**


	15. Reflection

**A/N: A short chapter before the next episode. I honestly couldn't think of a good enough name for this, so…yeah. I'm actually terrible with titles :P**

**There's slight angst in the beginning, but th****ere's some important things in here in regards to the Doctor and Rose's relationship and what going on inside his head. Those will appear again later on, but there's a snippet of what could come (which I'm sure many of you have already guessed) :)**

** As always, many thanks to those who've reviewed, followed, and faved! :D**

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_**Chapter 15: Reflection**_

The Doctor was alone in the console room, making a few adjustments underneath the TARDIS. He needed to get his mind away from the long, reminiscent conversation about Gallifrey he had with Martha and Rose. The former was in a guest room resting to preserve her energy before being taken back home, which she seemed to accept with such ease at the impossibilities of his ship. Surprisingly, not by all that much, the latter decided to do the same.

After sharing a few moments of comforting silence in each other's arms, he offered to make Rose some tea, but she kindly declined and told him that she needed to take some time to relax for a short while. He couldn't blame her either. She may not need to rest as much as an average human anymore but that didn't exclude her from bouts of exhaustion. Even he himself would need the occasional kip. He assured her that he would join her after finishing some quick fixings on the console right before she left.

Now that he was alone he thought about everything that had occurred in the last twenty minutes or so. With the help of the enigmatic and wise creature that was the Face of Boe, they were able to restore power to the city of New New York and allowing the commuters stuck on the busy motorway access to the skies again. But Boe was weakened since he gave his entire life as a power source, and his last words were spoken specifically for him in saying that he was not alone, but that was impossible.

He had a vague, though uncertain, idea of what Boe had meant but it was wrong. If he was referring to Gallifrey, then it was wrong by far. He would've been able to sense another Time Lord by now via telepathically, but nothing was there.

After that slightly confusing and unhelpful statement, he then talked about his home to both Martha and Rose, something he had never wanted to do for a while now ever since…well, _everything_ that had happened. Never had he wanted to burden others and much less himself with the painful reminder that his home was gone, especially since _he_ was the one responsible for its downfall. It hurt too much to talk about to anyone, even Rose.

Still to this day he was astounded at how much Rose would always be there to lead him through the agonizing flashbacks of a past he could only wish would be omitted from his mind. Of course she didn't know the full extent of the damage he had done to his planet as well as himself. What she sees now is just a small glint of what's really on the inside, and he feared that if - no, not if, _when_ - they took their relationship up to the highest of intimate levels, she would see him for who he really was. That monster hiding deep inside of himself just waiting to claw out from its cage.

Maybe that was the reason why he's been hesitant to initiate that stage. No, not maybe - that was _exactly_ the reason.

He was afraid that when she would see him fully, see everything that he was as she delved deep into his mind, he'd scare her away. Hell, even _he_ scared himself at times. Not that he didn't _want_ for them to reach such a point in their relationship, because he honestly _did._ They were just moving it along, patiently taking one step at a time. Truthfully he wasn't even entirely certain such a bond could be created with her. She was a human. Yes, she was a more advanced one at that now with her altered genetics and can withstand much more than average, but whether or not she was capable of forming a telepathic bond with him was unknown.

As of recently though he hasn't mentioned anything since he brushed them to the side, but there's been a warm sensation creeping in the back of his head, like an itch or a small spark igniting to life just waiting to grow. He's felt it ever since Noel - more specifically since the first time they passionately kissed - that itching feeling to connect with her even more was making itself known. That wasn't as unexpected as how they both fell into this whole thing with slight ease, but he's been shaking it aside for now.

Even the TARDIS sensed it in his mind, however She was supportive of him and also thought it best to not rush straight into something so intimate just yet - though She _was_ all for the gesture. Cheeky ship.

Though Rose is strong on so many levels and swore that she could take away as much of the pain away from him as able, the possibility of her handling something like that was uncertain. As much as he loved her with all of his hearts, he cared for her so much to not force any of that onto her if she didn't want it. He would wait until she was ready - until _he_ was ready - to try a hand at the process and see where it goes from there. If not…well, he'd just live with that itch until it's familiar, just like everything else inside of him.

There would always be that gaping hole still inside that could never be filled, one that not even Rose could fully heal. But whenever he was around her any and all worries vanished and it was just the two of them in their own little world. He could spend an eternity in that place, and they actually can now. It still was overwhelming and unbelievable that the opportunity was now in existence. But if this was all a dream, he'd fight to never wake up again, and he would would just live in it.

And if the day should come and they actually try to form that bond, if it _is_ possible, and if Rose would commit to something so permanent…well, he'd just have to wait. Whether it's short or long, he would wait.

Crawling out from underneath the console, the Doctor brushed himself off. Dark smudges of oil stained his suit again, and he had just created more. At least he had the sonic to clean himself up. Or maybe he can change into the blue suit again. It was something different than the brown pinstripes, and he felt content with it, though he had a personal liking to his brown one.

He headed down the corridors until he came to his and Rose's room. Turning the knob slowly so not to disturb Rose from her brief kip, he stepped in - and noticed their bed was empty. Walking in, the Doctor looked around the room before peeking his head in the en suite, also empty. Rose must have woken up and went out to look for him. Or perhaps she never even came in here to nap at all.

Looking up at the ceiling, the Doctor asked the TARDIS through their telepathic link where Rose was. She hummed softly in his mind and informed him of her location. Sending his thanks, he changed into his blue suit before heading back out in search for Rose.

He turned a corner and came up to a very special room on the TARDIS. It was one of the simulation rooms where the TARDIS can create any type of scenery that someone wants to see and make it seem so real and lifelike with every detail from a piece of grass in the ground to an actual breeze. He often enjoyed coming into these rooms to seek comfort whenever he was alone. She always knew how to help him relax, and that was what She was doing to Rose.

The Doctor stood beside the large double door frame to gaze out at what the TARDIS simulated for Rose - it was the Powell Estate. She was leaning over the railing on the balcony that would be right outside her flat, looking ahead at the place that was once her home. Of course it wasn't her home anymore - it was only a place with memories of what _used_ to be a home.

Pushing himself off of the door frame he walked up to her and leaned against the railing next to her, following her gaze across the Estate. Before he could speak, Rose beat him to it and said, "You lost?"

"Rose, this is my ship. I never get lost," he replied with a small smile. "Weeell, never _intentionally._ Sometimes She likes to play tricks on me."

She smiled briefly. "Yeah, I can imagine." She paused for a second. "I miss this place," she said softly, "Funny, when I was living here most of my life, I always wanted to leave. I never thought I would miss a place like this." One of her hands came to her mouth as she chewed on her thumbnail. "I wish Mum was here."

The Doctor didn't turn his head towards her, instead he kept his head forward. How could he respond to that? It was because of him that she would never see her mother again, so of course he would be ultimately responsible for her sadness. Not only did he bring her back just before they were caught up in the storm that was the battle of Canary Wharf, but he promised Rose that they would celebrate Christmas with Jackie again - and he failed her in more ways than one, each of then hurting him more for doing such a thing to Rose.

Lowering his head, he closed his eyes and let out a breath. "I'm so sorry…"

"'S not your fault, Doctor," Rose assured.

He snorted. "Oh, no, I only managed to separate you from your own mother who's trapped in a parallel universe. You're right, I shouldn't feel guilty about that," he said with much hinted sarcasm.

Rose turned her head to face him. "First of all, _you_ didn't do it yourself - the Daleks and the Cybermen were the ones who were fighting against each other. Torchwood had to poke their noses in business that didn't concern them and _caused_ the whole thing. You didn't do anything, Doctor. Stop blaming yourself."

He shook his head and faced her. "You'll never see her again, Rose, and that's _all_ because of me."

"Don't," she said firmly. Pushing herself off of the railing she placed her hands on his forearm. "I told you that this was the choice that I made myself. I knew what the cost would be, and I still chose to stay with you no matter what," she sniffed, "Yeah, I miss Mum, I miss her every day. But if I ended up in that other world I don't know what I'd do with myself without you."

The Doctor swallowed as he returned his gaze straight ahead across the Estate. "I wish I could do more for you because you deserve so much, but I can't."

"I know, but you did do all you could. You made me say a proper goodbye to her, and I couldn't thank you enough for that." She paused for a moment to study him before lowering her head. "I wish I could do the same for you," she said quietly.

He turned his head to her with furrowed brows. "What?"

"I just…if anyone deserves so much more it's _you_, Doctor. I know it was hard for you to open up the way you did earlier, but I wish I could give you back something more."

The Doctor turned his body away from the view to place a hand under her chin, bringing her eyes back to his. "You already do, Rose. You've given me so much more, and you'll continue to do so. None of those things concern me when I'm with you - they all wash away. Yes, I may never have anything like that again, but _this_ is my home - right here in the TARDIS…with you," he raised his hand to brush back a stray hair behind her ear before keeping it on her cheek. "It's more than I could ever want."

"Me too." Rose said as she gave him a warm, watery smile before he bent down to kiss her softly.

Pulling back a fraction, he whispered across her lips. "Thank you."

Rose chuckled. "For what?"

"Being here with me," he moved his hand down to her arm, rubbing small circles with his thumb.

"Well, I'm not going anywhere," she said with a nonchalant shrug before smiling widely. He pressed a kiss to her forehead right before she asked, "Are you sure there's no one else?"

"No," he said quickly with certainty as he straightened up. "If there was anyone, I would've known-" he tapped his temple, "-right here. But it's empty. The Face of Boe was wrong." He studied her for a second. "What did he say to you?"

Rose hesitated for a second. Boe specifically told her that the conversation they had was only for _her,_ so obviously she couldn't mention any of it to the Doctor. Especially the implication of the possibility of something happening to them in the future. If she hadn't accidentally spoken aloud to Boe in front of everyone when he was only in her mind at the moment, she wouldn't have to say anything right now.

But of all of the things they talked about there was one thing she knew wasn't secretive and could be told to the Doctor.

"Just that you're lucky to have me," she answered with a smile.

He smiled back at her response. "That I am."

Stepping closer Rose enveloped him in a hug. "I see you're breaking in the blue suit again."

"Yep."

"Lemme guess, the brown one got stained again?"

"Yep," he said, popping the 'p'. He pulled back. "You know, this one has pinstripes too." He lifted his forearm up under her nose, showing her the faint red stripes.

Rose studied them. "Hm. Still prefer the brown." When he pouted she reached a hand out to lower his arm. "I told you that this one works for you too, so don't get all vain on me."

The Doctor sniffed. "Me? Vain?" He adjusted his tie. "Nah, not me."

She giggled and nodded. "Whatever you say. Martha still resting?"

"Yeah, she needs it. Doesn't have as much energy as us, so she has to regain it before we take her back home," he tilted his head and hummed in thought, "Although…we could offer her just _one_ more trip. Whaddaya say?"

Rose nodded. "Fair enough." Martha proved to be a worthy companion in this lifestyle, so she didn't mind having her around. She was a nice, kind person that she could consider to be a friend. "Before we go off somewhere, can we do something we haven't done in a little while? Just for fun?"

He arched a curious brow at her. "What'd you have in mind?"

Instead of telling him she just smiled sweetly and reached out to pull his tie, gently tugging him forward to walk out of the room with her, leaving behind the simulated balcony. Clearly she felt much better and now she was going to show off her happiness.

And he had a pretty good idea of what she was thinking of.

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Martha woke up and for a moment didn't realize where she was. Opening her eyes it all came back to her - she was in a guest room on the TARDIS. It still overwhelmed her that this ship was just so impossible and yet so amazing. Her room was dimly lit, but as she sat up and brought her legs to the edge of her bed they became brighter. Smiling up at the ceiling she said, "Thank you." She expected some kind of speech in return and had a peaceful hum.

She thought about the last few days she's had that were beyond unbelievable! Going into the past to meet one of the most legendary playwrights, William Shakespeare, and then going into the future to see Earth so many centuries ahead, _New_ Earth. This was an exciting life for sure.

Then she thought about of the honest and personal admittance from the Doctor and Rose. She only knew them for a few days but they became her good friends, and she knew little to nothing about them. Just that they were aliens - well, the Doctor was and Rose was still human…enough. They were so mysterious that of course she was curious about them. When they finally opened up about events that had hurt both of them deeply she understood why they never talked much. Underneath their happiness and joy were two people who needed each other more than anything.

It was…beautiful.

Making her way into the en suite, she washed her face and touched up her make-up. She didn't know for sure how long she slept, but it didn't feel like morning. Well, she was still trying to figure out the calender system in this ship though it seemed time zones never mattered in here. When she finished up, Martha headed out of her room and made her way down the corridor. A faint sound in the distance caught her attention, and began to increase with every step she took. It sounded like…music. Yes, loud music blaring - the ending to the song "_I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)_" to be exact.

Finding her way to the console room she smiled at the sight before her. The Doctor and Rose were dancing around the console room in rhythm to the music. Martha stayed in the corridor away from their view and laughed quietly at how the Doctor spun around in a circle and fell at Rose's feet at the chorus.

Just as the song ended another began to play and Martha almost died when "_Bad Case of Loving You_" played next because the chorus was too funny. Rose was laughing hysterical as they each acted out parts of each song. They each twirled together, the Doctor holding Rose close and dipping her down for a quick kiss.

Martha sat down on the floor in the shadows and watched the two bounce around the console when "_The Safety Dance_" came on followed by "_Kryptonite_." Of course they were doing this privately and she couldn't help but feel bad that she was intruding on their joy, but just watching how they acted together was so much fun and uplifting. The next couple of songs were heavier and had even faster paced rhythms - "_Blitzkrieg Bop,_" "_Ballroom Blitz,_" and "_Time Warp_," and they kept up with the rhythm of all three with ease.

It astounded Martha not only to see how much energy they both had, but also at how they always looked at each other. The Doctor had all of time and space at his fingertips but marveled mostly at Rose, like _she_ was his whole entire world. Just two carefree souls. Martha couldn't help but feel a tad bit of jealousy at their relationship - they were just so natural and perfect together with unmistakable chemistry it almost seemed like a fairy tale. But it was all real, and she hoped that one day if she ever met the right guy, together they'd be at least a small glint of what these two had.

As the last song was nearing its end Martha was brought out of her admiration when her stomach growled. She completely forgot that she hadn't eaten anything in a while. She hated to disrupt the joyful couple dancing away in the room, but she needed to know if she could find the kitchen in this place. Standing to her feet and stepping out from the corridor stiff from sitting all that time, Martha walked over to the energetic duo and immediately caught their attention.

"Ah! Martha Jones!" The Doctor exclaimed as he shoved his hands in his pockets, barely showing any effects of the loads of active dancing he and Rose were doing for over twenty minutes (that she saw, at least). "Enjoy your rest?"

"Yeah, that was the most comfortable bed I've ever slept on," she said with a smile.

Rose nodded, her exhaustion a little more visible. "I know, they're like sleepin' on clouds."

The Doctor tilted his head. "Well, technically if you were to attempt sleeping on a cloud, you'd fall right through it. Made entirely of water."

"It's just an expression, Doctor," Rose said, rolling her eyes playfully.

"But if you were to go to Clanabrosin-" he closed his eyes and smiled, "-oh, those clouds are like big balls of cotton!"

Martha smiled at them. "Well, anyway, I was wondering if we could maybe get something to eat."

The Doctor smacked his forehead. "Oh! Of course! You must be famished. Come on, we'll head to the galley."

He went down the corridor, Rose and Martha following, and turned a corner to enter the galley. Rose sat down on a tall stool at the table and Martha sat beside her while the Doctor rummaged around in a cabinet, sticking his head all the way in as he searched. "Alright, let's see…Ah! We've got bunches of bananas-"

"And when he says 'bunches,' he means _bunches,"_ Rose told Martha.

The Doctor stuck his head out to the girls, "Fancy one? They're good, you know."

Martha shrugged. "Sure, I don't mind."

Grinning widely he plucked off some from the large bunch and handed one to each girl, keeping one for himself.

"Wow, these are…" Martha trailed off as she ate her banana.

"Before the Doctor says it, I'll say it for him," Rose said with a chuckle. "They're _good__,_ right?"

She nodded. "More than that, they're so _sweet._ I've never tasted one like this. Where'd you get them?"

"Oh, this one," she gestured at the Doctor, "Blew up a weapons factory and planted a banana grove in its place."

Martha snorted. "Seriously?" Rose nodded. "Why?"

"Why _not?"_ The Doctor interjected, peeling a second banana. "It's more useful than some pointless weapons factory. You can't get a good source of potassium with some bloody ray guns and spanners."

Rose rolled her eyes. "Don't get him started, Martha." She discarded her own banana peel at a nearby bin before returning to Martha. "You know, we were thinking, would you mind if we took you on one more trip?"

Her eyes lit up. "Yeah, sounds great!"

"Brilliant!" The Doctor said with a mouthful of his banana.

Rose rolled her eyes. "Manners, Doctor."

He returned the eye roll and closed his mouth as he chewed, giving them a thumbs up and earning a brief laugh from both girls.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**Yeah, I just couldn't resist the second half of this chapter xD Just imagining those two dancing around the console…*dies from adorableness* This is what happens when you write stories with Pandora stations playing in your ears early in the morning :)**

**Review! ;)**


	16. Daleks in Manhattan Part 1

**A/N: Not as crazy about this episode, so bear with me if it seems a bit off. I'm rushing these ones since they're slowing me down. :P And yes, this chapter's boring, I admit it. Please try to deal with that cause it'll get more exciting by the next chapter.**

**Thanks to all of the lovely people who've reviewed, followed, and faved! ;)**

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

_**Chapter 16: Daleks in Manhattan Part 1**_

After they finished up eating the Doctor ran up to the console. "Alright, here we go. Whaddaya fancy - forwards or backwards?"

"Since when do you offer so much?" Rose asked with a laugh.

"What's wrong with offering?" He said with an arched brow. "I _do_ have manners, you know."

"Yeah, but you're also rude, so…you're basically a walking contradiction," she teased.

He huffed before Martha spoke up with a chuckle. "Are you two always throwing shots at each other?"

Rose shrugged. "We're always messin' around. It's what we do."

"But she doesn't think she's rude, though she's just as bad as me," the Doctor remarked, earning a tongue sticking out at him from Rose. "So! What's it gonna be? Forwards or backwards?"

Rose thought for a moment. "Dunno…." She turned to Martha. "Whatcha reckon?"

"Backwards is fine with me," she said with a smile.

The Doctor went right on it and plugged in coordinates before flipping the switch. Another moment later the TARDIS landed surprisingly gentle. "What happened? We never land this smooth," Rose commented.

"Oi, I'm not _that_ bad of a driver," the Doctor defended as he ran over to grab his coat.

"So you admit that you _are_ bad, then." Rose teased.

He moved his eyes and sniffed. "I didn't say that."

"Whatever you say."

They stepped out of the TARDIS and onto green grass. "Where are we?" Martha asked.

The Doctor inhaled deeply. "Ah, smell that Atlantic breeze! Nice and cold. Lovely." He turned around and craned his neck to look up with a grin. "Ladies, have you met my friend?"

Both of the girls followed his gaze and marveled at what they saw. "Is that…?" Martha asked, stunned. "Oh my God! That's the Statue of Liberty!"

"It's so beautiful," Rose commented, taking the Doctor's hand.

"Gateway to the New World," the Doctor said, happily. "'Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to break free…"

"It's nice to see the Statue of Liberty this close up," Rose said. "We didn't get to see it last time."

Martha turned to them. "You've been here before, too?"

Rose nodded. "Came here for New Year's. We saw the very first ball drop."

"Oh, my God. That's amazing."

"Yeah, it was. We were supposed to go to another ball drop, but never did."

"Well, you can go at any time," Martha laughed, before looking back up at the Statue. "That's so brilliant. I've always wanted to go to New York. I mean the _real_ New York, not the new, new, new, new, new, new…"

Rose chuckled. "You're missing a few news."

"Well, there's the genuine article - so good, they named it twice," the Doctor said as he walked over to the edge of the island with Rose, looking across the bay at the city before them. "Mind you, it was New Amsterdam originally. Harder to say twice. No wonder it didn't catch on. 'New Amsterdam, New Amsterdam'."

"Definitely couldn't make songs with that," Rose joked.

"I wonder what year it is now," Martha said, pointing across. "Cos look, the Empire State Building's not even finished yet." The very building was still under construction

"Work in progress," the Doctor informed. "Still got a couple floors to go, and if I know my history," he pressed his tongue on the back of his top row of teeth, "That makes the date somewhere around-"

"November 1st, 1930," Martha said behind them.

The Doctor raised his brows in surprise. "You're getting good at this."

"Doctor, it's from a newspaper," Rose told him, making him turn around as they walked over to Martha, who did in fact have a newspaper in her hands. He took it gently from her and inspected it with a frown.

"Eighty years ago," Martha said. "It's funny cos you see all those old newsreels in black and white like it's so far away, but here we are. It's real. It's now." She walked closer to the edge and looked over the beautiful city. Turning back to them, still reading the paper. "Come on then, you two. Where do we go first?"

"Well, this might be one place to start," the Doctor said, turning the paper around to show her a headline saying, 'Hooverville Mystery Deepens.' "Looks like our detour got a bit longer."

Martha stared at it. "What's Hooverville?"

"Another mystery," Rose said. How could they resist?

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It became chillier out as they ventured into Central Park as the girls crossed their arms around their chest and preserved their body heat in their jackets. Once they made it there the Doctor began to explain what was going on in this time. "Herbert Hoover, thirty-first President of the USA, came to power a year ago. Up til then New York was a boom town, the Roaring Twenties, and then-"

"The Wall Street Crash, yeah?" Martha finished. "When was that, 1929?"

"Yeah," he said solemnly. "Whole economy wiped out overnight, thousands of people unemployed. All of a sudden, the huddled masses doubled in number with nowhere to go. So, they ended up here in Central Park."

"What, they actually live in the park?" She asked with disbelief. "In the middle of the city?"

"It's not that unheard of," the Doctor said. "People do it all the time. Even in present day London."

"I suppose so, yeah," she responded quietly with a frown.

They passed by small groups of homeless people huddling over trash cans with fires ignited in desperate need for warmth. A small girl who looked to be no more than four years old was amongst the group, standing by a woman that most likely was her mother. Rose felt her heart sink for these people - just losing everything and struggling to make it through the day. It was heartbreaking.

"'S horrible," she commented softly. "There are children."

The Doctor squeezed her hand. He knew how uncomfortable she would feel once they saw what was happening down here.

The little girl she had seen walked over to a blanket and picked up a torn up paper bag. She rummaged around for something inside but when she took out her hand, it was empty as her hand went straight through a hole on the bottom, a smattering of crumbs trickling out. Rose watched in sadness as the little girl dropped the bag and started to cry. This was not how anyone should have to live a life - barely surviving on scraps and whatever rags were worn on their backs.

Releasing the Doctor's hand, Rose reached in his trouser pocket, catching him off guard and confused. "Rose, what are you-" He stopped mid-sentence when he saw her run over to a little girl, and handing her the spare banana he always kept in his left trouser pocket. He smiled warmly at her caring gesture as a smile spread across the girl's face before she ran over to her mother, hugging her leg then proceeding to peel her snack. He couldn't help but be proud of her yet again at her acts of kindness from her heart.

When Rose came back over to them she saw both the Doctor and Martha smiling at her, the former wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pressing a kiss to her temple. As they continued making their way into the town, the uneasiness only grew as they saw more homeless people in even worse shape, living in tents and worn out clothes and sheets.

"Ordinary people lost their jobs," the Doctor continued to explain sadly. "Couldn't pay the rent and they lost everything. There are places like this all over America. No one's helping them. You only come to Hooverville when there's nowhere else to go."

Before the girls could make a response they heard the sound of a fight breaking out nearby. A man ran out of one of the tents and went straight to the noise. Following him, they saw as the man began to break up the scuffle between two young men.

"Cut that out! Right now!"

"He stole my bread!" one of them shouted accusingly.

"That's enough!" the older man yelled before turning to other man. "Did you take it?"

"I don't know what happened," the other man said. "He just went crazy."

The first man tried to throw another punch but was stopped by the older man. "That's enough!" He repeated then turned back to the second man. "Now think real careful before you lie to me," he said seriously.

"I'm starvin', Solomon," he said desperately with a frown.

Solomon sighed and held out his hand. The young man reached into his coat and pulled out a loaf of bread, giving it to him. He took the loaf and broke it in half, handing a piece to each man.

"We _all_ starvin'. We all got families somewhere," he pointed a stern finger at each man. "No stealin' and no fightin' - you know the rules. Thirteen years ago I fought in the Great War - a lot of us did. And the only reason we got through was because we stuck together! No matter how bad things get, we still act like human beings. It's all we got."

Watching on the side the Doctor tugged Rose's hand and nodded his head in their direction. "Come on." They made it over to Soloman. "I suppose that makes you the boss around here," the Doctor said.

The other man eyed the three of them suspiciously before asking, "And, uh, who might you be?"

Rose spoke up for them. "I'm Rose," she gestured at the others, "That's Martha and this is the Doctor."

Solomon raised his brows and scoffed. "A doctor? Well, we got, uh, stockbrokers, we got a lawyer, but you're the first doctor." He stood over a fire in a trash can and warmed his hands. "Neighborhood gets classier by the day."

"How many people live here?" Martha asked.

"At any one time, hundreds. No place else to go. But I will say this about Hooverville: we are a truly equal society - black, white, all the same. All starving. So you're welcome, all three of you." He raised his head to glance at the Doctor. "But tell me, Doctor, you're a man of learning, right? Explain this to me," he walked away to stand on the side to look up at the Empire State building, the others following. "That there's going to be the tallest building in the world. How come they can do that, and we got people starving in the heart of Manhattan?"

The Doctor frowned and spoke sadly, "I wish I had an answer for you."

Solomon shook his head. "Yeah." He walked away, leaving the three to gaze up at the soon to be landmark before catching up to the man.

Rose handed the Doctor the newspaper. "He might know about this."

Taking it they reached the man as the Doctor showed it to him. "So…men are going missing. Is this true?"

Solomon took the paper and shook his head. "It's true all right."

"But what does 'missing' mean? Men must come and go here all the time. It's not like anyone's keeping a register."

"C'mon in," Solomon said, nodding to his tent and sitting down. "This is different."

They made their inside way inside and Martha asked. "In what way?"

"Someone takes them at night. We hear something. Someone calls out for help. By the time we get there, they're gone. Like they vanish into thin air."

"What makes you think someone's taking them?" Rose asked.

"When you got next to nothing, you hold on to the little you got - your knife, blanket, you take it with you. You don't leave bread uneaten, fire still burning," he replied.

"Have you been to the police?" Martha asked.

Solomon snorted and shook his head. "Yeah, we tried that - another deadbeat goes missing, big deal."

"So, the question is," the Doctor spoke slowly as he leaned against a pole, "who's taking them and what for?"

A young man suddenly popped his head in the tent. "Solomon, Mr. Diagoras is here."

Solomon jumped up immediately and left the three behind in the tent. Rose nudged the Doctor, who already had the curious look in his eyes as he led them out and followed.

The man presumably to be Mr. Diagoras stood in front of a gathering crowd on a box, towering over then as he made an announcement. "I need men, volunteers. I got a little work for you and you sure look like you can use the money."

"Yeah, what is the money?" the young man asked.

"A dollar a day."

"What's the work?" Solomon asked.

"A little trip down the sewers. Got a tunnel that collapsed needs clearing and fixing. Any takers?"

"A dollar a day?" Solomon sneered. "That's slave wage. Men don't always come back up, do they?"

Diagoras shrugged. "Accidents happen," he replied evenly.

"What do you mean?" the Doctor spoke up. "What sort of accidents?"

"You don't need the work? That's fine," the man said, looking around. "Anybody else?"

Both Rose and the Doctor shared a glance. "Up for it?" he whispered.

"A trip down in a dank sewer? Sure," Rose said half heartedly, as they both raised their hands. Mysteries were fun and exciting to solve, but traveling through a dirty sewer under the city? _Well, it could be worse._

"What are you two up to?" Martha asked.

Diagoras noticed them and shook his head impatiently. "Enough with the questions."

"Oh, no, no, we're volunteering," the Doctor said.

The man looked at them with surprise before scanning the crowd. "Alright, who else?"

Martha flitted her eyes between the two of them. "I'll kill you for this," she said, causing them to chuckle.

Pretty soon Solomon and the young man, whose name was Frank, also raised their hands with them. Diagoras looked around for any other takers. As no one else raised their hands, he dropped down from his box and led them to the nearby sewers. Lifting the lid he showed them the tunnel that they would walk through. They each took turns stepping down the ladder as Diagoras instructed them. "Turn left, go about half a mile, follow Tunnel 273. Fall's right ahead of you. You can't miss it."

"And when do we get our dollar?" Frank asked.

"When you come back up."

The Doctor raised a curious brow at the man. "And what if we don't come back up?"

"Then I got no one to pay," Diagoras answered irritably.

"Cheery," Rose commented.

"We'll be back," Solomon assured him before walking away first

"Let's hope so," Martha mumbled to herself as she followed along with the others.

The tunnel was dark with a few dim lights shining the way. Thankfully Diagoras supplied them all with torches, which was probably the most surprising albeit considerable gesture he's made to them. From above, the opening was sealed shut, the only way to go was now through the tunnel.

Rose shined her torch by the wall and almost gagged when she saw a thick layer of slime crusted in the cracks. "Lovely," she commented.

"We just got to stick together," Frank said from the side of each of the girls. "It's easy to get lost. It's like a huge rabbit warren. You could hide an army down here."

"So what about you, Frank?" Martha asked. "You're not from around these parts, are you?"

He laughed. "Oh, you could talk. No, I'm Tennessee born and bred," he said with his thick Southern drawl.

"So what are you doing in New York?" Rose asked curiously. He had to have been around her own age, maybe a year or two younger. She couldn't stop herself from admiring how cute he was and then inwardly giggled. The Doctor was in front of them walking with Solomon. No doubt he would be giving her that certain look, saying "Oh, he's pretty…" as a way of jealousy. But of course Rose was committed only to the Doctor, though it was fun to tease him at times.

"Oh, my daddy died. Mama couldn't afford to feed us all," he told. "So, I'm the oldest, up to me to feed myself. So I put on my coat, hitched up here on the railroads. There's a whole lot of runaways in the camp, younger than me, from all over - Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas. Solomon keeps a lookout for us." He flitted his eyes to both Rose and Martha. "So, what about you two? You're a long way from home."

"We're from London," Rose told him before adding, "Well, I was originally, but we travel around."

Frank nodded his head forward at the Doctor. "You and your man, yeah?"

She blushed a little. "Yeah, but we have friends with us sometimes."

"Ah, more hitchers," he turned to Martha, "And you?"

"I'm just a hitcher too," she answered.

"You stick with me, you'll be all right," the young man said with a smile.

Rose moved up to walk beside the Doctor to see what he could find out. "So this Diagoras bloke, who is he then?" he asked.

"A couple of months ago, he was just another foreman," Solomon said, observing the tunnels. "Now, it seems like he's running most of Manhattan."

"How'd he manage that then?"

"These are strange times. A man can go from being King of the Hill to the lowest of the low overnight. It's just for some folks it works the other way round."

As they walked the Doctor shone his torch to the ground and suddenly exclaimed. "Whoa!"

He knelt to the ground to examine something. Moving around him, Rose saw some kind of green gelatinous blob that glowed.

"What the hell is that?" It actually looked like a brain of some sorts, or something else, maybe a creature? But whatever it was, the smell was horrible as it attacked her nose and made her gag.

Martha came up to have a closer look. "Is it radioactive or something?" The object's glow died down. "It's gone off, whatever it is-"

"And you've _got_ to pick it up," Rose grimaced as the Doctor slipped on his glasses and lifted the slimy object. He brought it closer to his face for examination, turning it in his hand and causing it to make disgusting squishy sounds. How he was standing the smell was beyond her since she was gagging just from standing away from it, but she was certain that she would definitely throw up on the spot if he did what she thought he would do next. "Doctor, I swear, if you _lick_ that-"

"Relax," he said with an eye roll. "I'm only examining it."

"Well, you have a habit of licking things when you examine, you know," she said. If his tongue made an appearance, she was never snogging him again - and she hoped to _God_ that he would hold himself back from his oral fixation for once, because she honestly didn't want it to come to that.

"Even _I_ have limits, Rose," he told her.

She snorted. "That so? I've yet to see them."

He glanced up for a second and threw her a quick smirk. "Just come down here and shine your torch through it," he said. Doing so, Rose held her breath from inhaling the foul smelling object and shone her torch below it, making it seem more transparent. "Composite organic matter," he commented. "Martha? Medical opinion?"

"It's not human. I know that," she replied from where she stood.

"Definitely not. Looks like a deformed jellyfish," Rose said.

The Doctor raised his head from examining the blob. "Well, it's not that, it's nothing of any oceanic life. And I'll tell you something else - we must be at least half a mile in and I don't see any sign of a collapse, do you?"

"So why were we sent down here?" Rose asked, looking around the tunnel.

"Where are we now?" Martha asked. "What's above us?"

Standing to his feet, the Doctor looked up to the tunnel above them. "Well…we're right underneath Manhattan." He shoved the blob into his coat pocket and Rose audibly gagged while Martha grimaced. "C'mon."

He reached a hand out instinctively for Rose's and she recoiled for a second. "Don't touch me with that one, it's been all up in a slime ball."

The Doctor snorted. "Scared of a little bit of slime?" he teased.

"No, but it's just as disgusting as it smells."

"Fine." He switched the torch to his 'contaminated' hand and offered her his opposite one, wiggling his fingers and smiled with arched brows. "Better?"

Rose threw a teasing grin before taking it. "Very."

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The group continued walking for a few more minutes to head deeper into the tunnel. Rose felt a slight chill pass through her with every step they took. There was something eerie about under here that seemed too creepy. The Doctor had a firm grip on her hand to calm her down. This mystery was getting more and more…mysterious.

"We're way beyond half a mile," Solomon declared. "There's no collapse, nothing."

"That Diagoras bloke, was he lying?" Martha asked.

"Looks like it," the Doctor answered.

"So why'd he want people to come down here?" Frank asked.

Rose shivered again. "I have a feeling it has something to do with all the missing people from Hooverville," she suggested quietly.

The Doctor sensed her discomfort and squeezed her hand as he turned back to the group. "Solomon, I think it's time you took these two back," he nodded at Martha and Frank while tightening his grip on Rose's hand. "Rose and I will be much quicker on our own."

Her stomach swooped with happiness that he wasn't sending her away for once while the rest of her insides shook with chills of these tunnels.

"I'm not going back up, I'm staying with you," Martha protested.

Before anything else could happen a loud squealing sound echoed from the distance, startling them. Everyone whipped their heads in its direction and brought their torches up in the dark.

"What the hell was that?" Solomon asked.

"Hello?" Frank shouted, his voice echoing through the sewers before Martha and Rose shushed him immediately. "What if it's one of the folk gone missing?" He reasoned quietly. "You'd be scared and half mad down here on your own."

"Yeah, well they must've been mad for taking such an offer, then," Rose mumbled.

The Doctor turned to him. "Do you think they're still alive?"

The young man shrugged. "Heck, we ain't seen no bodies down here. Maybe they just got lost."

Another round of squeals echoed around them. Releasing Rose's hand, the Doctor walked cautiously down one of the other tunnels.

"I know I never heard nobody make a sound like _that,"_ Solomon pointed out.

"Sounds like there's more than one of 'em," Frank said.

The Doctor waved his hand at them. "This way."

Solomon shone his torch light down a different tunnel. "No, that way."

As they decided to go down Solomon's chosen path, Rose looked back at the Doctor and arched a brow. This place was creepy as it was but those squeals were non-human. He just shook his head as they walked. Martha suddenly put a hand on Rose's arm, stopping her. Looking ahead she froze up. "Doctor, up there," she whispered.

A figure in the shadows was doubled over against a wall. "Who are you?" Solomon asked.

The stranger didn't respond. "Are you lost?" Still no response. "Can you understand me?" He began to slowly approach the figure. "I've been thinkin' about folk lost-"

The Doctor put a hand on the young man's arm and stopped him. "It's all right, Frank. Just stay back, let me have a look."

He turned to Rose and gave her a look, telling her to stay put for a moment while he went up to the figure.

"He's got a point, though, my mate Frank. I'd hate to be stuck down here on my own." He brought his torch up to light his way as he came closer to the figure. "We know the way out. _Daylight_. If you want to come with us-" he stopped in front of the figure, crouching down and bringing his light to show the face of the figure - and it looked like that of a pig's. "Oh, but what are you?"

Solomon took a few wary steps behind the Doctor and asked nervously. "Is, uh, that some kind of carnival mask?"

"No, it's real," the Doctor assured before speaking with sincerity to the pig man. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Now listen to me, I promise I can help. Now, who did this to you?"

Before he could get the man to talk, a group of approaching shadows appeared along the tunnel as well as more squeals.

"Doctor," Rose warned, stepping behind him as he slowly stood. He held his arm without the torch and kept Rose behind him, backing her up to join the others. Oh, no. He wasn't doing this again. She came back up to him and tugged his arm when he wouldn't budge. "Doctor, step away."

"I think you two should get back here," Martha called out from the back.

The Doctor began to slowly walk backwards, keeping Rose safely behind him. "Actually, good point, girls."

The pig men rounded the corner and started coming towards them. "They're following you," Martha told him.

He nodded, his eyes not leaving the pig men. "Yeah, I noticed that, thanks. Well then, Rose, Martha, Solomon, Frank, um…basically…"

"RUN!" Rose shouted as she pulled the Doctor's arm, getting him to move faster.

The rest of the group got the message as they raced to get back to a sewer lid. "Where are we going?" Martha asked frantically as they twisted around corners.

The Doctor sped up to take the lead, dragging Rose along with him. "This way!"

They turned and ran by a side tunnel and Rose caught a glimpse of their escape. She stopped and pulled him. "Doctor, a ladder!"

Skidding to a stop and stumbling, his face lit up. "Brilliant! Come on!" Running down the tunnel, he quickly climbed up to the top and soniced the lid, opening it. As he made it up, Solomon followed.

Frank pushed the girls ahead of him. He found a stray bar lying on the ground and waved it towards the pig men, trying to ward them off.

Both girls shouted for him until he dropped it and began to climb the ladder. "C'mon, Frank! C'mon!" Solomon yelled. He was making his way up, but was stopped when a pig man grabbed a hold of his leg. He kicked it off but more grabbed him.

Both the Doctor and Solomon grabbed either of Frank's hands and began pulling him back up. "I've got you. C'mon! Come on!" the Doctor screamed, pulling with all of his strength. Just when it looked like Frank was freed, the pig men proved to be too strong as they pulled him all the way down. "NO!" The Doctor shouted in unison with the girls.

One of the pig men made it through and began climbing up the ladder. Solomon shoved the Doctor aside, causing him to stumble into Rose's arms as he shut the lid on the man before he could join them. "We can't go after him."

"We've got to go back down. We can't just leave him," the Doctor protested.

"No! I'm not losing anybody else," the other man said. "Those creatures were from Hell. From Hell itself! If we go after them, they'll take us all! There's nothing we can do. I'm sorry."

Rose stepped around Martha and stomped angrily towards Solomon, smacking his arm repeatedly. "He was a boy! An innocent, kind, young man who trusted you! You were the one who looked after him and what do you do when he needs you the most? You leave him behind to die!"

The Doctor came from behind and held her arms firmly before she continued her spiel. "Hey, hey. Just leave him, Rose," he soothed quietly in her ear to calm her down. He understood her frustration very well, but they needed to keep going.

She relaxed enough then turned around to face him, her eyes misty with unshed tears. "He was a _boy_, Doctor," she said softly. "We can't leave him down there."

"I know," he said calmly, rubbing her arms up and down. "We'll find him, I promise. We'll fix this." He leaned over to press a quick kiss on her forehead for reassurance.

Suddenly an unknown voice called out. "All right, then, put 'em up!" A blonde woman with a thick New York accent came out from behind a rack, pointing a gun at them. She gestured the weapon at them. "Hands in the air, and no funny business."

Obeying her words they all slowly put their hands up, the Doctor stepping in front of Rose as a shield. If a shot was to be fired, he'd take the bullet for her in a heartsbeat.

"Now tell me, you schmucks," the woman continued, holding the gun steady in her hands. "What've you done with Lazlo?"

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**Attention campers, attention campers: it's tiiiiiiiime for Camp Lazlooooo! Eh? Anybody get that reference? No? Okay. Don't mind me, I'll just be over here xP**

**Review! :D**


	17. Daleks in Manhattan Part 2

**A/N: Yeah, I really rushed these since they're really not my favorite. Again, sorry if it seems off. I wanna get through this two-parter episode fast and get to Lazarus LOL (which is another one of my faves of series 3) XD**

**Many thanks to everyone who's reviewed, followed, and faved! You're all great! ;)**

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_**Chapter 17: Daleks in Manhattan Part 2**_

"Who…who's Lazlo?" Martha asked calmly, which contrasted with her nerves shaking with nervousness at having a gun pointed at her.

The woman glanced over each of them before gesturing at them to follow her. "C'mon over to my dressing room. Dunno if I wanna talk in here like this." Walking backwards while keeping a close eye on them, they made it to her dressing room full of props, clothes, and cosmetics. She slumped into the seat in front of the vanity.

"Lazlo's my boyfriend - or _was_ my boyfriend until two weeks ago," she told them. "No letter, no good-bye, no nothin', and I'm not stupid." As she talked she gestured absent mindedly with the gun still in her hand. The Doctor was the closest one standing in front of her and leaned back warily, bumping into Rose behind him.

"I know some guys are just pigs but not my Lazlo," the woman continued. "I mean, what kinda guy asks you to meet his mother before he vamooses?"

The Doctor still eyed the gun cautiously. "It might…might just help if you put that down."

The woman furrowed her brows in confusion. "Huh?" Then she realized the gun was dangling in her fingers. "Oh, sure." She tossed it over to a nearby chair like it was a regular piece of trash, which only made the Doctor flinch and bump into Rose again. "Oh, c'mon, it's not real," the woman said. "It's just a prop. It was either that or a spear."

Rose snorted while Martha asked the woman, "What do you think happened to Lazlo?"

"I wish I knew. One minute he's there, the next, zip! - vanished."

The Doctor stepped closer. "Listen, ah - what's your name?"

"Tallulah."

"Tallulah-"

"Three Ls and an H," she clarified.

He blinked once before shaking his head. "Right. Um, we can try to find Lazlo, but he's not the only one. There are people disappearing every night."

"And there are creatures," Solomon added. "Such creatures."

"And you left Frank to them," Rose muttered bitterly.

"Whaddaya mean 'creatures'?" Tallulah asked.

"Look, listen, just trust me," the Doctor said quickly. "Everyone is in danger." He reached in his pocket and pulled out the slimy blob, inwardly grinning at Rose's recoil in the corner of his eye. "I need to find out exactly what this is because then I'll know exactly what we're fighting."

Tallulah made a disgusted face and grimaced at the object. "Yech!"

"I'm going to head back to the prop room, see if I can find anything that might help me figure out what this thing is."

"Yes please, the smell isn't leaving my nostrils," Rose complained, causing the Doctor to giggle.

"Hey, I need to start getting ready for my next show. You girls want to stay and chat?" Tallulah asked them glancing between them.

Before he left, the Doctor pulled Rose aside near the door and away from the rest. "See if she gives out anything useful. Right now we need as much information that we can get."

She nodded. "Okay. Just don't lick that glob, please," she said pointing at the object.

He rolled his eyes. "Why do you keep thinking I'm gonna lick it? I told you that I have limits, Rose, and a blob of slime - well, that's near the top of the list."

"Good, because if you did, I wouldn't snog you anymore," she said with a teasing grin and poking him in the chest.

"Can't have that now, can we?" He said with a smirk before giving her a quick peck on the lips and then sauntered off to further examine the slimy thing. Solomon followed him and left the ladies together, Rose glaring at him as he passed by. _Poor Frank._

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She walked back to join Martha and Tallulah, who got herself ready for her show. "Lazlo…" she said in a dreamy voice, pointing at a photo of them together on the vanity. "He'd wait for me after the show, walk me home like I was a lady. He'd leave a flower for me on my dressing table. Every day, just a single rose."

"He sounds like a sweet guy," Martha commented.

"Oh, he is." She answered with a smile.

"Haven't you reported him missing?" Rose asked.

The woman shrugged. "Sure, but he's just a stagehand. Who cares? The management certainly don't."

"Why not kick up a fuss?" Rose suggested with a small smile. "You know, just refuse to go on."

"Then I'd get fired."

"Well, you're the star of the show," Martha added.

"Oh, honey, I got one show in a back street revue and that's only because Heidi Chicane broke her ankle - which had nothin' to do with me whatever anybody says," Tallulah told them. "I can't afford to make a fuss. They'll fire me, and if I don't make this month's rent, then before you know it, I'm in Hooverville."

Rose shook her head. "That's just…so wrong."

Tallulah smiled sadly. "It's the Depression, sweetie. Your heart might break, but the show goes on and if it stops, you starve. Every night I have to go out there, sing, dance, keep goin'. Hoping he's gonna come back."

The woman started to cry and Rose enveloped her in a comforting hug, then allowed Martha to give her one as well. "We're so sorry," she said.

Pulling out from her embrace, she nodded. "Thanks, girls." She turned to Rose. "You're lucky, though. You got yourself a forward thinking guy with that hot potato in the sharp suit."

Rose blushed a little and chuckled. "Yeah, I guess I am.

Tallulah smiled and shook her head. "Guess nothing, honey. I've seen the way he looks at you. That man would lay down his life for you in a second."

"Believe me, I know he would," she responded quietly. Hell, he already _had_ countless times, and she knows he will continue to do so. And she'd do the same for him.

"But you can't give up hope, Tallulah," Martha assured. "Lazlo will come back."

Tallulah was still smiling. "Oh, I still got hope. It's the only thing that's kept me going cos…" she picked up a white rose from the vanity and held it up to show it to them. "Look. On my dressing table every day still."

"You think it's Lazlo?" Rose asked, as Martha took the flower.

"I don't know. If he's still around, why's he bein' all secret like he doesn't want me to see him?" She asked the girls, who just shrugged. "Yeah, that's all I got either." Taking one last look in the mirror, she proclaimed, "Well, here goes." She skipped out into the hall and called out, "Girls, it's showtime!"

At her words a mob of women dressed in red sequined outfits ran onto the stage, chatting away at each other. Tallulah turned to them and beckoned them with her hand."Come on, girls, take a look. Ever been on stage before?"

Rose exchanged a glance with Martha and grinned. "Oh, a little bit."

"You know, Shakespeare," Martha said.

"How dull is that?" Tallulah scoffed. "Come and see a _real_ show," she urged happily as she pulled them toward the stage.

They watched as a group women dressed in red like devils and another group dressed in white like angels dance around the stage while Tallulah sang her heart out.

Martha nudged Rose's side with her elbow, getting her attention. She nodded off to the other side of the stage. Confused by what she was doing, Rose squinted. Her eyes to see what was over in the darkness. Just barely visible she made out the face of another pig man. "Wait…" she looked harder. "It doesn't look like the others." Without warning, Martha made her way through the performance to get to the other side. "Martha, no! Get back!" she told her quietly, but it didn't phase her any.

With a heavy sigh Rose crawled on the ground to try to bring Martha back. If she was going to try and pursue the man, at least she'd be with. They were hiding behind the group of dancers when Rose tapped her leg. "Martha, don't go near him," she whispered, though she thought the other girl wouldn't hear her over Tallulah's singing and the music.

"You said it yourself, he's different," she answered.

"I know, I'm curious too, but we can't- Watch out!"

Martha slowly turned back to approach the man sneakily, but accidentally stepped on one of the Devil's tails and causing them to stumble and then fall. Soon after the others began to fall like dominoes in the chain reaction. Tallulah stopped singing and cried, "Get off the stage! You're spoilin' it!"

"No, but look," Martha said, pointing at the pig man. Tallulah looked over and saw him and screamed. She startled the man as he dashed away.

"Wait!" Rose cried as Martha began to chase him. While Rose said she was curious about why this pig man seemed to be different than the others, she didn't want to risk being captured. They made it back to Tallulah's room, and Rose grabbed Martha. "Listen, we have to go back. As much as I wanna know about him too, we can't risk being-"

A loud snorting sound interrupted her. Turning around for the noise, Rose saw nothing but the coat rack…until she turned back and screamed as two pig men suddenly came from behind the wardrobe and grabbed them.

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The DNA scanner wasn't really the greatest creation the Doctor's made, but given the available resources he had, it would do just as good. He studied the blob under a beam of light from the stage with his specs on, examining it closer than he could earlier now with the equipment.

Solomon had come with him so that the ladies could have some time together, but left not too long after the music had started playing to check on the other people of Hooverville. Apparently Rose's anger toward his choice to leave young Frank behind motivated him to go do something worthy and tend to the others outside. He couldn't blame either him or Rose for how they felt for each side.

Leaning in for a closer look he furrowed his brows in concentration at the scanner. "This is artificial, genetically engineered," he said to himself. "Whoever this is, oh, you're clever." Reaching into his pocket he pulled out his stethoscope to listen to the blob. "Fundamental DNA type 4-6-7 - 9-8-9." He raised his head and repeated the last three digits. "9-8-9…" he lifted his glasses and rubbed his eyes as he thought. "Hold on, that means planet of origin…" he trailed off as he lowered his hand from his face.

_Oh, no._ "Skaro," he breathed out before swiftly rising from his seat as he dashed to get back to the girls. He shouldn't have left them alone.

Once he made it backstage, he swerved through the group of women who huddled around Tallulah, panicking - and Rose and Martha were nowhere in sight. He grabbed the blonde showgirl by the shoulders. "Where are they? Where's Rose and Martha?"

"I don't know. They ran off the stage," she told him.

A pair of screams filled the air, and he knew exactly who they were. Without hesitation, he ran in its direction, Tallulah following close behind. Making it to the prop room, he noticed neither of the girls around. "Rose! Martha!"

The sewer lid they had arrived from was slightly opened. The pig men must've snuck around back here and captured them. Turning around the Doctor swiftly retrieved his coat from the rack and quickly shrugged it on before removing the lid completely.

"Where are you going?" Tallulah asked.

"They've taken them," he responded briefly.

"Who's taken them? What're you doing?" Tallulah asked. Instead of getting a straight answer he began to climb down the ladder and into the sewer. As he made it down, he noticed the showgirl had followed after them. "I said, what the hell are you doing?"

"No, no, no, no, no way! You're not coming," the Doctor told her.

"Tell me what's going on!"

"There's nothing you can do. Go back!"

"Look, whoever's taken Rose and Martha, could've taken Lazlo too, couldn't they?" she suggested.

"Tallulah, you're not safe down here," he warned.

She began to walk down a side tunnel. "Then that's my problem. Come on. Which way?"

He sighed in defeat. He wasn't going to her otherwise. Besides the longer he kept trying, the longer both Rose and Martha would be in danger. Walking past Tallulah, he waved his hand. "This way."

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"Oi, watch it!" Rose yelled as one of the pig men threw her up against the wall in the tunnel. She cringed not by the slight pain in her side when she made contact with it, but by the crusted grime on the surface. _Wonderful._ Martha stood beside her. "You all right?"

Martha nodded. "Yeah, you?"

"Fan-bloody-tastic," she responded. Of course this would happen. Looking around she saw a group of more pig men marching over along with a line of other people.

"Martha! Rose!" One called out. Both girls were relieved to see that it was Frank, still human.

"Frank!" They both cried in unison, each taking turns to give the young man a hug. Once Rose released him and looked back to where they came from.

Just then two pig men shoved them again.

"Get your dirty hooves off of me," Rose snapped, pushing the man back.

He looked between her and Martha and snorted. _Yeah, like we know exactly what you're saying._

"Yeah, alright," Martha spat out, nodding to Rose and Frank. "Come on." The other humans were being lined up and taken down the tunnel. Slowly, the three of them joined.

"Wait, where are they taking us?" Frank asked.

"I don't know," Martha said, "But we can find out what's going on down here."

Rose nodded as a chill shot down her spine, and this one felt worse than the other. She just wished for the Doctor to find them.

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The Doctor carefully scanned the tunnel with every step he took, a sickening feeling in the pit of his stomach. Knowing very well that the blob he found was from Skaro made his skin crawl. And if Rose was-

"When you say, they've taken her, who's they exactly? And who are you anyway? I never asked." Tallulah spoke loudly, bringing him out of his thoughts.

"Shhh," he hushed.

"Okay, okay," she responded, once again loudly.

"Shh, shh, shh!" he hushed her again, this time more hastily with his hands in the air.

A shadow was moving towards them, cast on the wall, but it wasn't that of a human's or one of the pig men - it was the last creature he wanted to see, but the one he was expecting.

It didn't phase Tallulah any though as she began to speak loudly again. "I mean, you're handsome and all, but-"

Thinking fast, the Doctor pulled Tallulah into a tight recess in the wall, putting a hand over the showgirl's mouth.

Sure enough a Dalek slowly passed by, its eyestalk observing the tunnel but luckily hadn't noticed them in their hiding spot. Once it was further away at a safe distance, the Doctor removed his hand from Tallulah's mouth. "No, no, no, no, no, no, no," he muttered. "They survived. They _always_ survive while I lose-"

He stopped and sucked in a shaky breath. Not only has he lost so much from the bloody Daleks, but so has Rose. They were part of the reason why she would never see her own mother again. Neither one of them wanted to deal with those cold hearted creatures, but of course they always had to come back and ruin their lives. And right now, she was probably in their clutches.

"That metal thing?" Tallulah asked. "What was it?"

"It's called a Dalek," he told her. "And it's not just metal, it's alive."

The showgirl scoffed. "You're kidding me."

"Does it look like I'm kidding?" he snapped angrily through gritted teeth, causing the woman to wince at his tone. Letting out a deep breath through his nose, he kept his tone as even as he could. "Inside that shell is a creature born to hate, whose only thought is to destroy everything and everyone that isn't a Dalek. It won't stop until it's killed every human being alive."

"But if it's not a human being, that kind of implies it's from outer space," Tallulah said with a nervous chuckle. He gave her a pointed look. "Yet again, that's a no with the kidding," she said with a brief nod. "Boy. Well, what's it doing here, in New York?"

Grabbing her hand he pulled themselves out of the recess. "Come on."

"Where we going?" Tallulah asked.

"Every second you're down here, you're in danger," he told her. "I'm taking you back right now."

They rounded a corner and Tallulah screamed when they came upon a pig man. They seemed to startle him as he tried to hide in the shadows, but the Doctor called after him. "Where's Rose and Martha? What have you done with them? What have you done with Rose and Martha?"

"I didn't take them," he said in a gravelly human voice.

The Doctor's tension eased a little at the sound of his voice. He wasn't squealing like the others. "Can you remember your name?" he asked calmly.

"Don't look at me."

Tallulah began to slowly walk up to the pig man. "Do you know where they are?"

"Stay back!" he ordered, holding a hand up to stop her from coming closer. "Don't look at me."

The Doctor began to slowly approach the man with warily steps. "What happened to you?"

"They made me a monster."

"Who did?"

"The masters," the pig man responded.

"The Daleks," he corrected firmly. "Why?

"They needed slaves," he answered. "They needed slaves to steal more people, so they created us - part animal, part human. I escaped before they got my mind, but it was still too late."

"What about Rose and Martha?"

"They took them. It's my fault, they were following me."

Tallulah held her arms close around her body. "Were you in the theatre?

He shook his head. "I never…yes," he admitted.

"Why? Why were you there?"

"I never wanted you to see me like this," the pig man said sadly, shying away shamefully.

"Why me? What do I got to do with this? Were you following me? Is that why you were there?"

Staying in the shadows, he turned to face her and only said, "Yes."

The pig man tried to turn away but Tallulah stepped closer to him and grabbed his arm, looking deep into the man's eyes and studying his face. Tears welled up in her eyes as she saw who he was. "Lazlo?" she asked, breathlessly. "My Lazlo? Oh, what have they done to you?"

The Doctor moved closer to the man. "Lazlo, can you show me where they are?"

"They'll kill you," he told him.

"If I don't stop them, they'll kill everyone."

Lazlo glanced at him before sighing. "Then follow me."

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"I've got a nasty feeling that we're being kept in the larder," Martha commented as they finally came to a stop in the tunnel.

"What're they doing?" Frank asked.

Rose gasped as another chill shot down her system. Oh, this really wasn't good. Holding her chest as it felt like a cold bucket water was running in her veins, the sensation only increased as her feelings were justified by came into view. "No, it can't be…" she breathed out.

**"SILENCE! SILENCE!"** called a familiar, robotic voice that made her insides boil. Another bone chilling sensation shot down her spine. Just being near their presence again was enough to make her skin crawl. After everything they've done, after all of the countless times the Doctor defeated them, somehow they manage to survive and escape like cockroaches. She clenched her fists at the sight of the familiar pepper pot as it strolled in, its eyestalk moving around.

"What the hell is that?" Martha asked.

"It's a Dalek," she ground out. " One of the most hateful, destructive races that will kill everyone and everything in sight. They were one of the reasons why the battle at Canary Wharf happened. How the hell did they survive?!" She whispered harshly.

**"YOU WILL FORM A LINE. MOVE."**

The pig men followed their commands and forced everyone to form a line, frightening the prisoners. "Just do what it says, everyone, okay?" Martha told the group calmly. "Just obey."

**"THE FEMALE IS WISE,"** the Dalek said. **"OBEY!"**

Another one rolled in. **"REPORT."**

**"THESE ARE STRONG SPECIMENS. THEY WILL HELP THE DALEK CAUSE. WHAT IS THE STATUS OF THE FINAL EXPERIMENT?"**

**"THE DALEKANIUM IS IN PLACE. THE ENERGY CONDUCTOR IS NOW COMPLETE."**

**"THEN I WILL EXTRACT PRISONERS FOR SELECTION,"** the first Dalek said as a pig man grabbed a man towards it.

**"INTELLIGENCE SCAN INITIATE,"** the Dalek said. **"READING BRAIN WAVES. LOW INTELLIGENCE."**

"You calling me stupid?" the man asked.

**"THIS ONE WILL BECOME A PIG SLAVE."**

Two of the pig men advanced on the man and took him away. "No, let go of me! I'm not becoming one of them!"

As the Dalek moved to the next in line, Martha whispered to Rose, "Got a plan?"

"Um, not really," she admitted. "But I know once they'll see me, all hell's gonna break loose."

"Why you?"

"Oh, you know…we've dealt with these gits before, and it's never pretty."

"So what're you gonna do?"

Rose simply shrugged. "Say hello."

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The Doctor held in his breath as he along with Tallulah and Lazlo watched as the Daleks scanned the prisoners. He let out his breath in a sigh of relief when he saw both Rose and Martha, as well as Frank, together and unharmed. No doubt Rose was seething and probably a little upset at seeing these blooming Daleks again after the destruction at Canary Wharf, but she appeared calm on the outside.

"They're divided into two groups - high intelligence and low intelligence," Lazlo explained quietly as they watched. "The low intelligence are taken to become pig slaves like me."

"Well, that's not fair!" Tallulah said loudly before the Doctor shushed her. She turned to Lazlo and whispered, "You're the smartest guy I ever dated."

"What about the high intelligence?" the Doctor asked.

"They're taken to the laboratory," Lazlo answered.

"Why? What for?"

"I don't know. The masters only call it the Final Experiment."

The Dalek proclaimed Frank to be of high intelligence before moving to Martha. **"INTELLIGENCE SCAN INITIATE: SUPERIOR INTELLIGENCE."**

The Doctor's breath hitched when it scanned Rose. **"INTELLIGENCE SCAN INITIATE: SUPERIOR INTELLIGENCE."** He couldn't help but smile inwardly at that. She was brilliant no matter how many times she was in denial.

Just as the first Dalek made its way to the next in line, the other one rolled up to Rose. **"WAIT! THE FEMALE IS IDENTIFIED AS A COMPANION OF THE DOCTOR. SHE IS THE KILLER OF THE EMPEROR: AN ENEMY TO THE DALEKS!"**

Rose simply smiled raised a hand to wave. "Hello," she said casually.

**"WHERE IS THE DOCTOR?! REPORT!"** the Dalek ordered, rolling closer to her.

She arched an eyebrow and crossed her arms over her chest. "Why? Ya scared he's gonna ruin your experiment?"

**"WHERE IS HE? REPORT!"**

She thrust her arms out as she screamed back at the Dalek. "D'you see him anywhere? Is he around here? Scan the area, check it out. You're not gonna find him."

The Dalek was silent as it checked the scans, its eyestalk moving up and down. From where the Doctor stood watching, his hearts were beating rapidly. Rose's bravery was one of her most admirable qualities, but he worried that she put herself in even greater danger.

**"THE FEMALE WILL BECOME PART OF THE FINAL EXPERIMENT,"** the Dalek proclaimed as it finished its scans. **"SECURE THE COMPANION."**

At its order two other pig men grabbed a hold of Rose. "What's the matter? Afraid you might turn to dust just like the Emperor?" she taunted. _Rassilon, this brilliant, jeopardy friendly woman was going to be the cause of another regeneration_.

**"SILENCE!"** The Dalek ordered.

Martha had been watching silently in shock and horror at the situation before crying out, "You can't just experiment on people! It's insane! It's inhuman!"

**"WE ARE NOT HUMAN. THE COMPANION OF THE DOCTOR AND THE PRISONERS OF HIGH INTELLIGENCE WILL BE TAKEN TO THE TRANSGENIC LABORATORY."**

At the command the pig men gripping Rose trudged her along first before the rest of the line began to move. "Look out, they're moving!" The Doctor said quietly, pushing the three of them back as the Daleks began to move down the tunnel.

Lazlo tried to lead Tallulah away. "Doctor, quickly!" he called out quietly to him.

The Doctor turned to them. "I'm not coming, I've got an idea. You go."

Lazlo came back after convincing Tallulah to go back up. As the Daleks passed by the line of humans followed behind them. Lazlo moved up first and fell in line with the other pig men while the Doctor fell between Martha and Frank.

"Just keep walking," the Doctor said quietly.

Martha sighed in relief. "Oh, I'm so glad to see you-"

"Yeah, well, you can kiss me later," he told her. "You too, Frank, if you want."

"Rose is-"

"I know," he said in a hard voice.

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After a few more moments of walking through the tunnels, they were finally led into the laboratory. Large tubes and various tables filled the area. The tension from Rose's body was very noticeable - at least to the Doctor. He was surprisingly calm at the moment and was focused solely on the task at hand. Moving to stand behind Frank and Martha, the Doctor blocked himself from view by leaning on the side.

Rose was brought into the center of the room, the Doctor keeping a close eye on her and waiting for the right moment to expose himself to the Daleks.

One of the Daleks stood near the back chained up and shaking. **"DALEK SEC IS IN THE FINAL STAGE OF EVOLUTION,"** one of the other Daleks reported.

**"SCAN HIM. PREPARE FOR BIRTH."**

"Evolution?" the Doctor mumbled.

"Whaddaya mean 'evolution'?" Rose repeated his thoughts out loud. "What is this Final Experiment you're going on about?"

**"YOU WILL BEAR WITNESS,"** one answered.

"To what?" she asked.

**"THIS IS THE DAWN OF THE NEW AGE."**

"What does that _mean?"_

**"WE ARE THE ONLY FOUR DALEKS IN EXISTENCE,"** one of them told. "**THE SPECIES MUST EVOLVE A LIFE OUTSIDE THE SHELL. THE CHILDREN OF SKARO MUST WALK AGAIN."**

Dalek Sec suddenly stopped shaking and became still. His shell hissed before opening and revealing an appalling sight. A figure with a highly altered face with one eye, a large brain visible on top of its head with tentacles hanging from it stood proudly with its humanoid body.

Martha's eyes widened in shock at the creature before them. "What is it?" she whispered to the Doctor.

"I am a human Dalek," it spoke with a normal voice. "I am your future."

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**God, halfway through this two-parter! These ones slowed me down a bit since I'm not really fond of them, but the next part is more exciting, so yay! Review!**


	18. Evolution of the Daleks Part 1

**A/N: At least the second part of this two part episode is a little more exciting than the first lol I will say this: this is a lot easier to write including Rose in it, so it's not as dull :D**

**Thank you lovely viewers for your feedback and follows! ;) Made it to 100 reviews! Don't mind me, it's a milestone for me considering I do this for a hobby. So thank you all for your feedback! :D *gives virtual hugs and cookies***

**Shout out to _Sebastian Max_ and _Candy thy Cutie_ for getting that reference at the end of Chapter 16 lol! If anyone was curious about that, Camp Lazlo was a cartoon on Cartoon Network about a group of various animal scouts, and Lazlo was a monkey. You can look up the intro for the show on YouTube to see what it was if you want. **

**Anyway, enough of my babbling - back to the Daleks ;)**

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

_**Chapter 18: Evolution of the Daleks Part 1**_

Rose audibly swallowed at the sight of the human-Dalek hybrid before her. If _regular_ Daleks were bad enough, what would a hybrid do? While these things still terrified her a little inside, Rose knew how fearful the Daleks were of both her and the Doctor. Speaking of which, he was probably - no, he was _definitely_ on his way to just saunter in here at any moment.

"These…humans will become like me," Dalek Sec stated. "Prepare them for hybridization."

The pig men began to move towards the group of humans, and right on cue, music started to play and fill the room, making Rose bite back on a laugh. Everyone froze and looked around for the source.

"What is that sound?" Dalek Sec demanded.

"That would be me," the Doctor said, making his grand entrance stepping into view with his hands casually in his pockets. He took out one to turn down the radio that was conveniently placed on a table. "Hello. Surprise. Boo. Et cetera."

Dalek Sec's eye widened. "Doctor!"

**"HE IS JOINED WITH THE KILLER OF THE EMPEROR! THE ENEMIES OF THE DALEKS,"** another Dalek yelled.

"Yep, that's us. Can't have a reunion without," he said nonchalantly. Dropping his hand still on the radio, the Doctor buried it back in his pocket and walked over to Rose. "You all right?"

"Yeah, you know…" she trailed off with a smile. "We have to stop meeting like this."

"Seems to be the norm," he commented. "We'll have to work on that."

**"EXTERMINATE!"** a Dalek screamed.

They started to advance on them with their guns raising. "Wait!" Dalek Sec ordered as he put up his hands to stop them.

Both Rose and the Doctor raised their brows in surprise as the Daleks obeyed. That's different. He walked slowly towards Sec. "Well, then. A new form of Dalek." He turned to Rose. "Who'd've imagined?" She shrugged, remaining in her spot while the Doctor turned back to Sec. "Fascinating…and very clever."

"The Cult of Skaro escaped your slaughter," Sec told him.

Rose snorted incredulously. "_His_ slaughter? I guess you weren't the ones going around shootin' people-"

"Rose," the Doctor gave her a warning look and held a hand up to stop her from going off…_again_. They needed to know exactly how they survived. "How did you end up in 1930?" he asked Sec.

"Emergency Temporal Shift."

"Oh, that must have roasted up your power cells, yeah?" the Doctor said as he began to wander around the lab. "Time was, four Daleks could have conquered the world but instead you're skulking away. Hidden in the dark…_experimenting_. All of which results in you."

"I am Dalek in human form," Sec said.

"What does it feel like? You can talk to me, Dalek Sec. It is Dalek Sec, isn't it?" he asked. "That's your name? You've got a name and a mind of your own. Tell me what you're thinking right now."

Sec blinked as he spoke slowly. "I…feel…humanity."

"Good," the Doctor said, with a nod. "That's good."

"I…feel…everything we wanted from mankind - which is ambition, hatred, aggression and war. Such…a genius for war."

Rose felt her stomach drop. Even when crossed with human traits, a Dalek is still a _Dalek._

"No, that's not what humanity means," the Doctor told him sternly.

"I think it does. At heart, this species is so very…Dalek."

"Alright, so what have you achieved then? With this Final Experiment, eh? _Nothing!"_ The Doctor sneered. "Cos I can show you what you're missing with this thing," he indicated the radio and pat it. "Simple little radio."

**"WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THAT DEVICE?"** one of the Daleks asked.

He simply shrugged. "Well, exactly - it plays music. What's the point of that?" He tilted his head back and forth as he spoke. "Oh, with music, you can dance to it, sing with it…" he winked at Rose. "Fall in love to it. Unless you're a Dalek of course, then it's just noise."

In a flash the Doctor whipped out the sonic and aimed it at the radio, emitting that high pitched screech Rose hated so much. Everyone covered their ears while the Daleks shook their eyestalks and screamed as they huddled around Sec as protection.

"Run!" the Doctor shouted at the prisoners, while grabbing Rose's waist and pulling her to along as they dashed back out into the tunnels.

"I thought I told you not to make that noise," Rose yelled, her ears still ringing and fighting the spots before her eyes.

"Had to escape, didn't we?" He said over his shoulder before throwing her an apologetic smile. Noises like that were sensitive to humans alone, but Rose had enhanced traits, so it was far worse.

Catching up to the others, Martha skidded to a stop and looked around at the conjoined paths, unsure of which way to go. The Doctor flew right by her and chose the path for them, twisting through the tunnels. Rose saw Tallulah up one of the tunnels and called for her to follow.

Finally they made it to a ladder. "C'mon! Everyone up!" The Doctor yelled as he forced everyone to go ahead of him, making sure everyone got out safe. Once they all made it out, he climbed up last and joined everyone back in the dark Hooverville town, huddling around small fires.

Reaching out a hand he grabbed Rose's arm from behind, spinning her around into a tight hug. "I take it you're not upset with me for getting captured and telling off the Daleks?" Rose said breathlessly as his arms crushed her body.

"Oh, no, I'm not _upset_, but I _was_ on the verge of having a bloody hearts attack," he said, nuzzling her hair before pressing a kiss on her temple, then whispered in her ear. "You brilliant, jeopardy friendly girl. You'll make me regenerate on the spot one day. Always getting into trouble."

"Well, how else could I be saved by my Doctor?" Rose teased. She heard him growl before he lowered his head to kiss the soft spot on her neck he favored so much. "How did they survive?" she said in a whisper. "Why do they always manage to escape while we…" she trailed off, closing her eyes. She couldn't even finish her question as her heart ached. After everything that happened at Canary Wharf, they _still_ managed to get away without any loss.

Pulling back, the Doctor brought a hand to her face, his thumb brushing over her cheekbone. "It's what they do, Rose," he said in a soft yet hard tone. "They come back to destroy everything that belongs to us…" he waited for her to open her eyes as he gazed straight at them then shook his head, replaying the words he had just said. "No…not _everything_." He leaned down to press his lips firmly to hers, reassuring her that no matter how many times they encounter those hateful creatures, they'll always have each other.

And that will never be taken away from either of them.

He pulled back again and moved his hand down to her arm, while his other held her chin up to him. "I won't let them take anything else of ours," he swore quietly.

She never doubted him. While it was true that they both had lost so much from those bloody pepper pots, one thing was certain was that they would never take away _this._ Not the Daleks, not even the universe. Nothing will.

Rose nodded at him as she grabbed his other hand to walk over to the rest of the group. "We should tell them what's going on," she said quietly.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

As the Doctor explained to Solomon what had happened with the Daleks, the man couldn't believe one word of the whole thing. "These Daleks, they sound like the stuff of nightmares." he said with disbelief. "And they want to breed?"

"They're splicing themselves onto human bodies, and if I'm right, they've got a farm of breeding stock right here in Hooverville," the Doctor said, before instructing him. "You've got to get everyone out."

"Hooverville's the lowest place a man can fall. There's nowhere else to go."

"I'm sorry, Solomon. You've got to scatter. Go anywhere - down to the railroads, travel across state. Just get out of New York."

Solomon shook his head. "There's got to be a way to reason with these things."

"There's not!" Rose exclaimed. "You _can't_ reason with them, that's why you have to get out of here. I know for a fact cos I tried, and it backfired. I showed sympathy to a Dalek when it was vulnerable, and you know what happened? People _died_! All because I tried to get one to show a sensitive side of itself, and it wound up killing anyway. Never would I trust one of those monsters again. They don't have a heart, which is why they couldn't care about others." She stepped up to the man and poked him in the chest. "So, when the Doctor says to get everyone out, then _get everyone_ _out_!"

Solomon stared at her, unsure of what to say. He wasn't the only one - the Doctor was completely speechless at Rose's anger. He tried not to remember that day back in Utah. That Dalek even tried to reason with himself and he unleashed his own fury on the creature, scaring it. But when Rose came to it, she showed compassion and it only triggered its own hateful anger. And she herself almost died.

Closing his eyes, he tried to rid himself of that horrible day. Here she was, the girl who always tells him to stop feeling guilty whereas she's held that admittance inside of her for two years. However she shouldn't feel guilty about that since it _wasn't_ her fault. It's what Daleks do - they destroy.

"You ain't seen 'em, boss," Frank spoke up. "I think they have a point."

Wrapping an arm around Rose's shoulders and pulling her close, he pressed a kiss to her hair before reassuring Solomon. "Daleks are bad enough at any time, but right now they're vulnerable and that makes them _more_ dangerous than ever."

Someone in the distance whistled at the town. "A sentry," Solomon said. "Must have seen something."

"They're here!" the sentry cried, running towards them. stumbled. "I seen 'em! Monsters! They're monsters!"

The Doctor's face hardened. "It's started."

"We're under attack!" Solomon shouted. "Everyone to arms!" Following his orders the men around them started collecting guns and whatever else could be used as weapons. Rose swallowed as she looked over at the people. She hated to think in such a way, but they wouldn't be able to win this fight. As most of the men prepared themselves, other residents attempted to flee from the town.

"Come back!" Solomon shouted after them "We gotta stick together! It's not safe out there! Come back!"

"We need to get out of the park," Martha told him.

The Doctor shook his head. "We can't! They're on all sides. They're driving people back towards us."

Tallulah sat on a crate and moaned. "We're trapped!"

Rose walked over to her. "We'll get out of this, okay? I promise we'll fix this."

"You seem so sure," the showgirl said, still saddened. "How could you be so sure?"

She glanced back at the Doctor, who watched as everyone was readying themselves with guns and weapons before turning back to Tallulah. "Cos it's what we do."

Someone shrieked as a Dalek flew above them. "What in this world-" Solomon said, stunned.

"It's the devil!" a man cried. "A devil in the sky! God save us all, it's damnation."

"Oh yeah?" Frank asked, raising his rifle. "We'll see about that!" He fired at the Dalek, but it wasn't effective.

The Doctor came up behind him and lowered the young man's gun. "That won't work. Bullets don't stop them."

"Doctor, look!" Rose called out.

"There's more than one coming," Martha added.

The other two Daleks flew in the sky and began to shoot their ray guns at people, killing some and injuring others. Shots that missed caused multiple explosions, causing people to scream in fear as they tried to escape. The Doctor moved right beside Rose to make sure he knew where she was. The last thing he needed was her to be attacked. She was close enough to being shot at already today, and she didn't need to again.

One of the Daleks hovered above slowly. **"THE HUMANS WILL SURRENDER."**

The Doctor stepped away from Rose and moved forward. "Leave them alone! They've done nothing to you!" he shouted angrily.

Rose saw Solomon take a step forward, but she grabbed his arm. "No, Solomon. You've gotta stay back."

He shook his arm out of her grasp only to be grabbed by the Doctor. "I'm told that I'm addressin' the Daleks, is that right? From what I hear, you're outcasts, too. The both of ya."

"Solomon, _don't,_" the Doctor warned.

The man refused. "Doctor, this is my township, you will respect my authority. Just let me try." He pushed the Doctor aside and walked up to address the Dalek. Both he and Rose muttered in their shared indifference to this man's decision. It was basically a suicide, and they couldn't convince him otherwise.

"Daleks," Solomon began. "Ain't we all the same? Underneath, ain't we all kin?" As a show of peace and trust he set his rifle down. "Cos see, I've just discovered this past day God's universe is a thousand times the size I thought it was. And that scares me. Oh, yeah - _terrifies_ me. Right down to the bone. But it's got to give me hope…hope that maybe together we can make a better tomorrow. So I beg you now if you have any compassion in your hearts then you'll meet with us and stop this fight. Well…what do you say?"

There was a pause, and Rose gripped the Doctor's arm while he flitted his eyes between Solomon and the Dalek. Maybe something actually got through to them. They both hoped that just maybe, deep down-

**"EXTERMINATE!" **

And with that, any and all hope of a change was shattered when the Dalek shot Solomon with its ray gun, killing him dead.

"No! Solomon!" Frank cried as he fought by the crowd to mourn over the man's lifeless body. Both Rose and Martha gasped.

"They killed him," Martha breathed out with shock and disgust. "They just shot him on the spot." Rose moved to stand beside her and placed an arm around her shoulders to calm her down. No one should have to witness a cold blood killing, especially if it's from a bloody Dalek.

The Doctor looked over his shoulder to see Rose comforting Martha, then back to Solomon's limp body and Frank breaking down in tears. His lips twitched as he gritted his teeth, seething in anger. They've done far too much after all this time. They manage to survive when he loses everything - well, _almost_ everything, and he wasn't losing her anytime soon. Definitely not today.

Something else he knew was definite was how much Rose was going to _hate_ him for what he was about to do.

Stepping forward, he shouted, "Daleks!" He got its attention, and he could feel Rose's gaze burning on the back of his head. "All right, so it's my turn!" He threw his arms out wide. "Then kill me! Kill me if it'll stop you from attacking these people!"

Rose felt like the wind rushed out of her and couldn't breathe. He was telling the Daleks to kill him - no, he was _ordering_! She tried to move to stop him from doing such a thing, but she was frozen. He can't do this. He just can't! He wouldn't do this to her, especially now that they have the opportunity to spend forever together.

"Doctor…" her voice was broken, almost as much as her heart at the moment.

Keeping his eyes locked on the Dalek and letting his fury remain visible, the Doctor felt his hearts ache at the sound of Rose's voice behind him. She thought he was betraying her, breaking their promise. As selfish and ridiculous as this act was, he was completely regretful for upsetting her and inwardly apologized for it.

**"I WILL BE THE DESTROYER OF OUR GREATEST ENEMY,"** the Dalek stated. If it had any emotions, it definitely would have been laughing maniacally out of sheer joy.

"Then do it! Do it!" The Doctor shouted, pounding on his chest over each heart, tempting the Dalek even more. "Just do it! _Do it_!"

**"EXTERMINATE!"**

"NOOOO!"

Once Rose found her breath and held it it, she found a surge of strength as she lunged herself at the Doctor, trying to tackle him to the ground. They both struggled as he kept himself up and attempted to push her aside, but she had a firm grip on his arms, holding them behind his back. But he was too strong as he turned around in her hold and tried to push her away, but she fisted his jacket. "Rose, get back!" He yelled.

"I ain't gonna just let you kill yourself!" She yelled back, fighting against his grip on her arms as she held onto him for dear life. If he was going to try to get himself killed, then she was going to save him from doing so. That or they die together, simple as that - either way he wasn't doing it alone.

Then they realized that the Dalek hadn't fired. Both she and the Doctor froze, staring up in shock and suspicion. It hesitated - no, _it…held back._ What the hell?

**"I DO NOT UNDERSTAND. IT IS THE DOCTOR."** It paused as its gun wavered towards the Doctor and Rose kept a firm grip on him. They could tell it was listening to someone else in their communications. **"AND THE KILLER OF THE EMPEROR?"** Its gun moved towards Rose, and the Doctor gripped her tight as he held his breath, waiting for something to happen. **"THE URGE TO KILL IS TOO STRONG,"** it said with a strangled voice. **"I...OBEY."**

With that, the Dalek lowered its gun while the Doctor and Rose exchanged a shocked look before turning back to the Dalek. "What's going on?" The Doctor demanded.

**"YOU WILL FOLLOW,"** it told him.

"No!" Martha shouted from behind. "You can't go!"

Rose was gobsmacked. _A_ _Dalek changed its mind._ It didn't kill! While she was relieved that the Doctor wasn't killed - well, that wither of them were killed for that matter - she was still fearful about what they wanted with him. Tears began to well up in her eyes, and she fought them back.

The Doctor noticed it and looked at her with a softened expression before turning back to Martha. "Martha, the Daleks just changed their minds. Daleks _never_ change their minds."

She gestured to the group. "But what about us?"

He brought his eyes up and took in all of the terrified faces. All of these people could still be in danger. He spun back to the Dalek. "One condition!" he shouted, also gesturing at the group. "If I come with you, you spare the lives of everyone here!" Do you hear me?"

**"THE HUMANS WILL BE SPARED. DOCTOR...FOLLOW."**

Before he could move, Martha spoke again. "Then we're coming with you."

He turned to her. "Martha, stay here. Do what you do best. People are hurt, you can help them."

Turning to Rose he softened, putting a hand on her cheek and brushing back a stray tear that fell from her eye with his thumb. She wouldn't want to leave him go alone now, but she had to. "You have to stay, too." She opened her mouth to protest, but he beat her to it. "Rose, please. I know you hate this, believe me, I know. I'm _not_ leaving you aside. Stay and help these people. It's also what you do best, my brilliant Rose."

Another tear fell from her eye as she sniffed and shook her head. "I still don't trust them," she said quietly.

"I know, neither do I," he said softly, catching the tear with his thumb and caressing her cheek. "But they changed their minds for a moment, and that's a rarity in of itself," he leaned closer to her, "I'll come back for you, Rose. You know I _always_ do." He swallowed before whispering, "I love you."

Without another word he brought his other hand up to fully cup her face as he crashed his lips down to hers, kissing her fiercely. Her hands made their way into his hair as he flicked his tongue over her seam and deepened the kiss. One of his hands left her face and wrapped around her back, sliding down until he made it to her bum. She felt him slip something inside her back pocket, something probably useful.

He pulled away far sooner than she wanted him to and rested his forehead against hers for a moment, his hand still caressing her face. Rose placed her hand over his wrist and gave him a gentle squeeze, looking him in the eye as she whispered back, "I love you, too. Always."

He gave her one more brief kiss then walked away to follow the Daleks before they had another change of heart - if they had one, that is. Looking back at her, he threw her a wink before he was gone from her sight.

Biting back on a sob as he left, she reached into her pocket and pulled out the psychic paper. What did he want her to do with it?

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Martha went right to work at doing her duty as a doctor, well technically speaking she was still a doctor in training, but that didn't exclude her from any knowledge of the occupation. Setting up materials in Solomon's tent, she tended to those who were injured, and thankfully no one had anything severe except for some cuts.

Rose was also a big help for her, calming the injured down as they panicked before she began pacing around with the psychic paper in her hands. Martha couldn't help but be shocked at this side of the young blonde. Never would she have pegged Rose as a _killer_ of…well, _anything._ Apparently she and the Doctor are sworn enemies to these Daleks, and whenever they meet it's just like Rose had said: all Hell breaks loose. She wasn't kidding.

Those two may have opened up a little to her, but they were still immensely mysterious to her, and all the same just…brilliant. And after witnessing the emotional impact these creatures had on them was nerve racking. She watched in horror as the Doctor had sacrificed himself to the Daleks, begging them to take his life in return for the safety of the townspeople, and then Rose came up to stop him by throwing herself at him. If the Dalek hadn't changed its mind, both of them could've died. Martha couldn't describe exactly how she felt at such bravery and strength that these two had. Being in love was one thing, but what those two had was exceptional and over the top for sure.

Just as Martha finished tending to a man's injuries Tallulah sat down on a crate. "So what about us? What do we do now?"

Rose stopped pacing and tapped the psychic paper on her palm. "I'm not sure, but the Doctor gave me this for a reason."

"What's that for?" Tallulah asked, eyeing the wallet.

"Psychic paper," Rose said, holding it up. "The Doctor uses it to get into places, buildings - basically makes people think you're important." She lowered her hand and stared at it. "He must want us to go somewhere, but I dunno where."

Tapping it against her chin, Rose began to pace again. Obviously wherever he needed them to go was guarded, hence the psychic paper, but where exactly?

"Wait a minute," Martha spoke up, "Down in the sewers the Daleks mentioned something about some…energy conductor."

Rose nodded. "Yeah…what was it? Something…" her brows shot up as she exclaimed, "Dalekanium! They said that the Dalekanium was in place, that's the energy conductor." Now they were getting somewhere. She licked her lips as she thought. "But where…? Some building…"

"That Diagoras guy could be involved," Martha suggested.

"Good point, let's ask Frank about what else he got them to work on."

Both women stepped out from the tent and found Frank seated on a crate, still mourning over Solomon's death. After exchanging a sympathetic glance, they slowly approached the young man.

"Frank?" Martha asked softly.

"Hm?" the boy said, wiping his tear streaked face.

"That Mr. Diagoras, he was like some sort of fixer, yeah? Get you jobs all over town?"

"Yeah, he could find a profit anywhere."

"But where, though?" Rose asked. "What sort of things?"

Frank shrugged. "You name it. We're all so desperate for work, you just hoped Diagoras would pick you for something good. Building work - that pays the best."

"What sort of building work?"

"Mainly building that," he pointed up at the building behind him - the Empire State building.

"Of course," Rose declared. "Thanks, Frank. That was very helpful," she turned to Martha. "C'mon, Martha," she waved the psychic paper in the air, "We've got somewhere to be."

"Now, hold on," Frank began, standing up. "I can't let you two venture out there alone."

"And you're not leaving me behind," Tallulah said, joining them outside.

Rose flitted her eyes at the three of them and nodded. Now she knew how the Doctor felt. "Alright then, c'mon. We're going sightseeing."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Never in all of his lives did the Doctor ever fathom the thought of him working with _Daleks,_ but this wasn't really for them, but for another race. Still, he was so conflicted.

Back in the laboratory he began working - no, he was actually _helping_ them. Well, truth be told it was _Sec_ he was working with, not the others. The Doctor was shocked at the hybrid's morals, proving just how dominant his human half really was. Not only did he want to make a new species that could thrive, but the new race would be more human than Dalek - with emotions and a heart - excluding _everything_ that made one a Dalek.

He summoned the Doctor to help him with the gene sequence, trying to make each empty human shell in the lab contain more human genetics than Dalek. Sec needed to use an energy converter with a strong enough blast of gamma radiation to send the genetic codes in each body to wake them up, hence the reason why they chose the Empire State building - on this date the Sun would release that much power.

Of course he had wondered exactly what the other Daleks thought about this, but they claimed that they obeyed Sec as he was their leader. He even admitted that not only the deaths to the townspeople were wrong but so was the very _purpose_ of the Daleks. Though he still felt an odd suspicion at the other Daleks actually agreeing to this plan, Sec proved to be determined to make a better race, one that could surpass and avoid extinction. One that wouldn't destroy. In the back of his mind the Doctor was hoping that it was true with this process. It could lead the Daleks, a race so dark and damaged to be freed from their hate.

One person can change the course of history. The right idea in the right place at the right time is all it takes. He had to believe it was possible.

But he was still cautious at this act, and kept his guard up at all times. After all this race was one of the very reasons why he was the last of his own kind - why Rose could never see her mother again. By rights he shouldn't be helping them with _anything_. As much as he despised them with all of his hearts, he still had to give them a chance. But that would be it - _one_ chance. No more after that. This could very well be their one opportunity of peace, so for their sake, as well as his own, they had better _accept_ it.

The only thing he could do was wait and see how this pans out.

At this very moment, the Doctor hoped that Rose was coming up with a plan. But he really didn't have to hope for it because he was certain it was occurring right now. She was brilliant, as was Martha, so he was confident that they'd figure something out. Of course, there was only eleven minutes until the energy converter would work, so hopefully they worked it out fast.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"I always wanted to go to the Empire State," Martha said as they piled into the lift. "Never imagined it quite like this, though."

"Welcome to our world," Rose told her.

"Where are we headed anyway?" Frank asked.

"Straight to the top, where they're still building," Rose answered. "Whatever we're looking for has got to be somewhere up there."

"How come those guys just let us through?" Tallulah asked pointing at the psychic paper. "How's that thing work?"

Rose held up the trusty wallet and smiled. "Psychic paper - it shows people what you want them to see." She lowered it to read the information listed. "According to this, we're a bunch of architects and engineers." She inwardly laughed at how gullible those guys were. If the Doctor were here he'd be mocking them. _Silly humans._

Tallulah raised her brows in amazement while Martha chuckled. "Mind if I borrow that when I go back home? It takes the pressure off of taking exams."

Rose laughed at her as she put it away. Once the elevator reached the top floor, they found themselves in an empty room with wood and unpainted walls.

Each of them scanned the room in different directions, trying to find any clues to the Daleks' plans while Tallulah stood facing the outside, looking out at the city below. "Look at this place. Top of the world."

Large architectural diagrams and blueprints were on display, clipped to boards. Martha immediately ran over to them. "Rose, look at these."

Rose, followed by Frank, moved over to where she was and nodded at her findings. "Now we're getting somewhere."

As they glanced at the diagrams, Frank pointed something out. "Hey, look at the date. These designs were issued today. They must've changed something last minute."

"They're all from before," Martha said, pointing at the first sheet. "That means whatever they changed must be on this top sheet but not these other ones. We need to check them against each other."

Just as she took them down to spread out on the floor, Tallulah began to walk towards the edge of the floor. "The height of this place! This is amazing!"

"Don't stand so close!" Rose called out to her.

"I just wanna see."

"Just…" Rose shook her head and rolled her eyes. "Just come back here, please. We don't want anyone fallin' off. That's a long way down."

Tallulah obeyed as she began to come back to them as they studied the diagrams carefully, looking for the changes between the old and new ones. Frank looked up from the sheets. "I'll go and keep an eye out, make sure we're safe up here. Don't want nobody buttin' in."

As Martha and Rose nodded at him before he left, Tallulah knelt beside them. "There's a hell of a storm movin' in," she said.

"I wish the Doctor was here," Martha said. "He'd know what we're looking for."

"Knowing him, he already _does_," Rose said with a snort. "But whatever it is, we've gotta find it. It's gotta be up here."

Hopefully they'd find whatever they're looking for quickly, because with each second that went by Rose grew concerned about the Doctor being with the Daleks. Of course he knows what he was doing, she never doubted him. She just hoped he wasn't trying to get himself killed…again.


	19. Evolution of the Daleks Part 2

**A/N: Since these episodes were slowing me down, I just smashed it all into only two chapters for each part - I didn't feel the need to drag these into three, and I really wanted to get to Lazarus xD**

**As always, many thanks to all of those who've reviewed, followed, and faved! Much love! -Angie ;)**

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

_**Chapter 19: Evolution of the Daleks Part 2**_

"So tell me, where did you and your man first hook up?" Tallulah asked Rose out of curiosity.

"A couple years ago," she answered as her eyes remained on the diagrams. "My job blew up and he saved my life. Then later on the next day, I saved his." _And they continue to do so._ "We've been traveling together ever since."

"Oh, that's so sweet," the showgirl said with a smile. She turned to Martha. "What about you? How'd you get involved with them?"

"We met in a hospital…sort of," Martha said. Probably not best to say they ended up on the moon.

Tallulah nodded with a knowing smile. "'Course, him being a doctor."

"Actually, I'm a doctor," she tilted her head. "Well, kind of."

"You're a physician? Really?"

Martha nodded. "I was training. Still am, if I ever get back home."

Tallulah turned to Rose. "Are you a doctor too? You could be doctors together!"

Rose laughed at that. "No, not me. I used to work in a shop."

"Oh, what a partnership that would be if you were though! Still, the way you two are together it's not hard to see how close you are."

Martha snorted. "I think everyone says that."

Rose blushed slightly. "Well, we _are_."

"I gotta say that was one hell of a kiss back there," Tallulah commented, making Rose's blushing only increase. "Tell you one thing, if he does that all the time, you've got yourself a keeper."

Rose smiled shyly and ducked her head down. She needed to get back to the situation at hand.

"You got real possibilities with that one," the showgirl continued before softly saying, "Wish I could still say the same."

"Listen," Martha said. "If the Doctor's with Lazlo now, there's every chance that he could get him out."

"And then what? Don't talk crazy. There's no future for me and him. Those Dalek things took that away. The one good thing I had in my life and they destroyed it."

Reaching out a hand, Rose rubbed the woman's arm comfortingly. "I'm so sorry, Tallulah."

The showgirl nodded as she sniffled. Without saying another word, she stood up and moved away, still sniffling as she held back her tears. Rose and Martha glanced at each other with sad frowns at the poor woman before returning to examining the plans.

"Gotcha!" Martha suddenly shouted. "Look…" she pointed at the diagram at her discovery. "There, on the mast. Those little lines? They're new. They've added something, see?"

Rose smiled widely and threw her arms around Martha. "Oh, Martha, you're brilliant!"

Tallulah ran back over to them. "Added what?"

Both Martha and Rose stood up from the ground, simultaneously exclaiming, "Dalekanium!"

Frank ran over to join him in their excitement. "What do we do with it?"

Rose's smile faded. "I…have no idea," she admitted. "But we've gotta get it off somehow…"

Everyone froze when they heard the bell ding for the lift. Oh, God, what's coming up? Rose's breath hitched when the doors opened, awaiting for what could come out.

And then she was relieved to see who it was. "Doctor!" Both Rose and Martha cried happily.

"First floor, perfumery," he said with a smile. Not even hesitating, Rose ran right over to him and threw herself in his arms. He lifted her off of the ground, holding her tight and spinning her around in a full circle.

"Hello," she said, smiling as he stopped to set her down.

"Hel-_umph."_ He didn't get a chance to say his greeting as Rose pulled back and kissed him hard. She was still furious at him for sacrificing himself yet again, but thankful he was all right. And he said that _she_ almost gave _him_ a hearts attack. Well, she only had the one and she was on the verge of having a stroke because of him. But then again, that's very _them_.

When she pulled back, she swatted his chest and gave him a serious look. "We're gonna have a serious talk about you and your sacrificial methods."

"Yeah, we'll work on that," he agreed with a nod. "What'd you find?"

Rose led him over to their findings, also noticing how Tallulah had reunited with Lazlo, while Martha told the Doctor everything. "We worked it out. We know what they've done. There's Dalekanium on the mast." Martha smiled at him. "And it's good to see you too, by the way."

The Doctor grinned back at her. "Oh, come here," he grabbed her in a bear hug of her own - until the lift made another ding and the door closed. Dropping Martha to her feet, he ran over to it. "No, no, no!" With the sonic in his hand he tried to pry it open, only resulting in him cursing in his home language and banging on the door. "It's a deadlock seal, I can't stop it."

"Where's it going?" Martha asked.

"Right down to the Daleks, and they're not going to leave us alone up here. What's the time?"

Frank looked at his watch. "11:15."

"Six minutes to go. I've got to remove the Dalekanium before the gamma radiation hits."

"Gammon radiation?" Tallulah asked, pulling back from Lazlo. "What the heck is that?"

Instead of answering her the Doctor ran outside to the scaffolding, the others following. Rose noticed his eyes widen a little as well as his skin turning a shade paler once he looked down. "Oh, that's high," he said. "That's very…Blimey, that's high."

"Yeah, and we've gotta go higher," Rose said, pointing higher to the top. "Up to the mast. There's three pieces of Dalekanium attached to the base, and we've got to get them off right away."

He turned to her and shook his head. "That's not 'we'. That's just me."

_Oh, no he's not. _"No, I'm not just gonna stand here and watch-"

"No, Rose," he said quickly. "I'm not leaving you aside. You're going to have your hands full anyway. The Daleks are coming, but they'll probably send the pig slaves first, so you'll have a chance. I'm sorry, Rose, but you've got to fight," he glanced up at the others. "All of you."

Rose let out a sigh. She wasn't going to argue right now. They needed to get this done in six minutes…or probably five now. She nodded and grabbed his forearm. "Be careful."

"You too," he looked over at the rest. "All of you be ready."

They all nodded back at him and turned to go back inside. Rose, however, stayed. "Don't do anything daft," she warned.

"I'll try," he said with a small smirk before leaning down to kiss her forehead quickly then turned to climb up the ladder all the way to the top. Rose watched him for a moment before joining the others.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

While the Doctor climbed up to the top of the building, the rest of the group armed themselves with various tools they found lying around on the floor, readying for the fight against what comes out of the lift. Standing together in a line they were prepared when the door made the ding, telling them it was coming up.

"I should've brought that gun," Frank muttered.

Lazlo moved to push the girls behind him. "Tallulah, stay back. You too, girls. If they send pig slaves, they're trained to kill."

Both Rose and Martha fought back from his grip. "The Doctor needs us to fight," Martha said firmly.

"We're not going anywhere!" Rose told him.

"They're savages!" Lazlo yelled. "I should know. They're trained to slit your throat with their bare teeth!" He tried to lift up the sledgehammer he was holding, but wound up collapsing to the floor near one of the pillars, breathing heavily.

Tallulah knelt beside him. "Lazlo? What is it?"

He shook his head. "No, it's nothing, I'm fine. Just leave me."

She placed her hands on his face. "Oh, honey, you're burning up. What's wrong with you? Tell me."

Frank groaned before whispering to Rose and Martha, "Great. One man down, we ain't even started yet."

"It's not looking good, Frank," Martha agreed.

"Don't say that, we'll be all right," Rose cut in.

"We're going to get slaughtered!"

"No, we won't! We're gonna just-"

She was cut off by a crackling of thunder along with lightning. Both Martha and Rose turned to look outside before exchanging a thoughtful expression. Then it hit them as they exclaimed in unison. "The lightning!"

The girls ran out to collect pieces of metal from the scaffolding, anything that could work. It took Frank a moment to realize what they had in mind until he joined them to help with other scraps.

Tallulah was still inside, soothing Lazlo as he sat on the ground sweating profusely. "Aw, you'll be all right, sweetheart. Don't you worry," she turned her head to the three of them outside. "What the hell are you clowns doing?"

"Even if the Doctor stops the Dalekanium, this place is still going to get hit. Great big bolt of lightning," Martha explained as she lifted a heavy pole.

"Electricity all down this building - if we connect this to the lift then they get zapped," Rose added, also lifting up a large piece of metal with the help of Frank.

Tallulah's brows shot up in surprise. "Oh, my God, that could work!"

"Then give us a hand," Frank said breathlessly in annoyance. The showgirl complied as she along with Lazlo helped the others in lining up the metal to the lift, keeping them all attached.

Once everything was set, the group stood together in the center of the room, preparing themselves for the lift to arrive while Frank ran out to the scaffolding. "Is that going to work?" Tallulah asked to be sure.

"It's got to," Martha said after taking a deep breath.

"I've got it all piped up to the scaffolding outside," Frank said as he came back inside.

"That's good, Frank," Rose said. "Remember not to touch anything metal, everyone!"

A twitchy feeling came to her as the lift finally came up and opened, revealing a group of the pig slaves. Waiting for something, anything to happen, they just stood there snorting. But before they all could fear for their lives a lightning bolt struck the Empire State building, sending the electric shock rapidly through the metal and coming into contact with the pig men. They shook in convulsions as the strike shot through them, high pitched squeals escaping them in the process.

Suddenly they all silenced until collapsing to the ground. "All roasted," Frank commented.

Martha and Rose ran over to the group while Tallulah exclaimed, "You did it, girls!"

"They used to be like Lazlo," Martha said quietly as both she and Rose examined the lifeless bodies. "They were people, and I killed them."

Rose put a hand on her shoulder. "No, you didn't, Martha. They weren't people anymore."

"She's right," Lazlo agreed. "The Daleks killed them long ago."

Rose understood how Martha was feeling, but these people were already taken away from their former selves. As she rubbed her shoulder, she suddenly remembered. "Oh, my God, the Doctor!"

Releasing Martha, she ran outside to the scaffolding, hearing the others following. _Oh, please be okay. Please, please, please._ As she kept praying to herself that he wasn't hurt, she immediately started to climb when Martha called her. "Rose, look!" Following where she was pointing, Rose felt her stomach drop as a slight chill hit her.

The sonic screwdriver was laying on the ledge just left forgotten. _Oh, no_. Taking it in her hand, she began to climb up the ladder at a faster pace, trying to get to the Doctor quickly, fearing the worst.

Once she made it to the top of the platform she saw the Dalekanium still attached to the mast and the Doctor lying flat on the ground unconscious to the side. "Doctor!" She ran over to him kneeling down to check on him. Placing a hand on his face, she turned his head to her and put two fingers on his neck.

She let out a breath of relief as the double pulse was still there. With the sonic still in her hand, Rose leaned over to wave it in his face. "Found your sonic. You're starting to get careless, this is still new. You know you're useless without it," she said with a small chuckle. He didn't respond. "Oh, please wake up, c'mon…"

Finally the Doctor began to stir as he groaned and furrowed his brows. "Oh…my head."

She grinned at him, resting her hand on his chest. "Hello."

His eyes blinked but were slightly opened. "Hello." He returned the grin weakly as he raised a hand to place it on the side of her face, brushing her cheekbone with his thumb. "You're alive."

"So are you, just about," Rose said, putting the sonic back in his jacket before poking him in the chest. "You must enjoy makin' me worry sick about you."

"No, but I seem to make a habit out of it," he said sheepishly.

"Well, we're on mutual ground," she said, earning a breathy chuckle from him.

"You two aren't happy unless you're worrying each other it seems," Martha commented from the side. "But Doctor, I can't help noticing…there's Dalekanium still attached."

At that his eyes fully opened wide and he shot straight up in a seated position, turning his head to the mast. "That it is. Come on! We need to get back down." Quickly rising to his feet, they made their way back down the ladder to join the others. "The Daleks will have gone straight to a war footing," he explained as he gazed out to the city. "They'll be using the sewers, spreading the soldiers out underneath Manhattan."

"How do we stop them?" Lazlo asked.

He turned away from the outside to face the others. "There's only one chance. I got in the way - that gamma strike went zapping through me first."

"Yeah, but what does that mean?" Martha asked.

"We need to draw fire. Before they can attack New York, I need to face them." Rose inwardly sighed. Of course he wanted to face them, but if he was to throw himself out there on the spot to get killed again, she was definitely going to slap him - after saving him that is.

"Where can I draw them out?" He began to pace around the room with his hair thrust in his hair before stopping in the center. "Think, think, think, think, think. We need some sort of space. Somewhere safe, somewhere out of the way," he turned around and exclaimed. "Tallulah!"

"That's me. Three Ls and an H," she said happily.

"The theatre! It's right above them, and, what, it's gone midnight? Can you get us inside?"

She shrugged. "Don't see why not."

He turned to Rose. "Is there another lift?"

"Yeah, we came up in the service elevator," she answered.

"That'll do," he grinned widely and grabbed Rose's hand. "Allons-y!"

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They finally made it down to the theatre, as it was empty, cold, and dark. Running down the aisle, the Doctor climbed over the seats and waved the sonic around. "This should do it, here we go."

"There ain't nothin' more creepy than a theatre in the dark," Tallulah said as she pulled her coat tighter around her to fight the chill.

"Oh, believe me, it could be a lot worse," Rose commented, noticing the Doctor glance over at her.

Lazlo suddenly collapsed down onto a seat, wheezing. "Lazlo, what's wrong?" Tallulah asked concerned.

"Nothing," he told her. "It's just so hot."

"But…it's _freezing_ in here," the showgirl turned to the Doctor. "Doctor, what's happening to him?"

"Not now, Tallulah. Sorry," he answered distractedly, holding the sonic to his ear.

"What are you doing?" Martha asked.

"If the Daleks are going to war, they'll want to find their number one enemy," he told. "I'm just telling them where I am."

Rose knew exactly where this was headed. "You mean where _we_ are," she corrected.

He turned to her with furrowed brows. "What?" Then it hit him. "Oh, no. You're-"

"Don't you dare," she said sternly. "You were left alone with them once already today, and I'm definitely _not_ leaving you by yourself with them again. I'm as much as an enemy to them as you are, and I'm not leaving."

The Doctor let out a frustrated noise. "Listen, you all need to get out of here before the Daleks and their army get here. Go back and wait for me in Hooverville."

"No way!" Martha protested.

He made another annoyed sound. Before he could warn them again the theater doors burst open as lines of the human Daleks occupied the aisles, their faces expressionless. They formed around like a barrier, cutting them off from any exits. The Doctor cursed inwardly as his eyes raked over the army.

"Well I guess that's them then, huh?" Tallulah asked fearfully.

"Humans with Dalek DNA?" Martha said, eyeing them.

Frank made a move to attack them, but the Doctor pulled him back. "It's all right," he said. "Just stay calm. Don't antagonize them."

"But what about the Dalek masters?" Lazlo asked. "Where are they?"

"Probably not too far behind," Rose said.

As if on cue an explosion blasted from the stage causing all of them to duck behind the row of seats. Both the Doctor and Rose peered over the seats slowly as they saw a cloud of smoke and pieces of wood fall off the edge. Two of the Daleks rolled out from the smoke with Sec crawling on all fours between them bound with a collar around his neck and a chain. Glancing over at Rose, the Doctor slowly stood up while the other followed suit.

They should've left. This could get ugly.

**"THE DOCTOR WILL STAND BEFORE THE DALEKS,"** one of them ordered.

Before he could do so Rose grabbed his hand. He glanced quickly at her to see the worried look in her eyes. She was strong, _always_ strong, especially when it came to the Daleks, since they took so much from her. But still she was a little scared by them, and right now she feared what was going to happen, and he hated seeing that worried look.

Giving her hand a gentle squeeze he nodded at her with a softened, assuring look before stepping over a chair. He walked forward over the backs of the seats until he reached the front row in front of the Daleks, balancing himself on the armrests as he flitted his eyes between the two, staring them down hard.

**"YOU WILL DIE, DOCTOR. IT IS THE BEGINNING OF A NEW AGE."**

**"PLANET EARTH WILL BECOME NEW SKARO,"** the other Dalek said.

"Oh, and what a world," the Doctor sneered. "With anything just the slightest bit different ground into the dirt." He gestured to the hybrid, now helpless and tied up like a stray. "That's Dalek Sec, don't you remember? The cleverest Dalek ever and look what you've done to him. Is that your new empire? Hmm? Is that the foundation for a whole new civilization?"

"Listen to him," Sec pleaded with a raspy voice. "My Daleks, just understand this: if you choose death and destruction, then death and destruction will choose _you_."

**"INCORRECT,"** the Dalek replied. **"WE WILL ALWAYS SURVIVE. NOW WE WILL DESTROY OUR GREATEST ENEMY, THE DOCTOR."**

"But he can help you…" Sec begged, shaking his head.

**"THE DOCTOR MUST DIE."**

Suddenly the Doctor felt a hand grasp his own. Whipping his head around with a mixture of shock and fear, he wasn't surprised at who came to stand beside him. "Rose, don't," he warned quietly through gritted teeth.

She kept her eyes to his own. "You're not going alone," she quietly said. He just stared at her in slight bewilderment at her courage. _Oh, this woman. This wonderful, brilliant, stubborn woman of his._

**"THE KILLER OF THE EMPEROR WILL JOIN THE DOCTOR IN DEATH,"** the Dalek screamed once it noticed her presence. _How true that would be, _Rose thought. If they were to die, that's the way it would be. _Together._

Meanwhile Sec crawled in front of the Daleks. "No, I beg you, don't."

**"EXTERMINATE!"**

Rose's breath hitched at the order and squeezed the Doctor's hand, but this time the Dalek didn't hesitate. Its ray gun fired - and struck Sec as he stood to his feet and took the shot himself. He screamed before falling to the stage limply.

"They killed him," Rose whispered before adding with distaste. "All because he wanted change."

The Doctor shook his head. "Your own leader," he said with disgust. "The only creature who might have led you out of the darkness and you destroyed him." He turned to the human Daleks. "Do you see what they did? Huh? You see what a Dalek really is? If I'm gonna die, let's give the new boys a shot." He briefly glanced at Rose and squeezed her hand. She knew what he was thinking just by the look in his eye. Turning back to the Daleks he continued. "What do you think, eh? The Dalek-Humans. Their first blood. Go on," he let go of Rose's hand and held his arms out wide. "Baptize them."

One of the Daleks' eyestalks moved up and down, studying the Doctor in his tempting offer. Rose tilted her head before thrusting her own out wide. "Why not? It's a good deal, innit? Two for the price of one," she nodded her head. "Go on, do it," she challenged. For her sake and his own, his plan better work. That or, just like when a similar situation happened earlier, they would die together.

The Daleks considered their request, one of them saying, **"DALEK-HUMANS, TAKE AIM."** At its words the human Daleks cocked and aimed their weapons in synchronicity at them.

"What are you waiting for?" the Doctor challenged. "Give the command!"

**"EXTERMINATE!"** the Dalek ordered. In a split second, both the Doctor and Rose grabbed each other's hand firmly and each sucked in a breath preparing for fire until…nothing happened. Feeling relief, Rose squeezed his hand. He said that they had one chance, that the lightning strike went through him first on the mast.

**"EXTERMINATE!"** the Dalek repeated, only to receive the same result.

**"OBEY,"** the other Dalek ordered. **"DALEK-HUMANS WILL OBEY!"**

"Not firing," they heard Martha say in awe from behind. "What have you done?"

**"YOU WILL OBEY,"** the Dalek repeated. **"EXTERMINATE!" **

One of the humans faced the Dalek. "Why?"

**"DALEKS DO NOT QUESTION ORDERS,"** one replied, its shell shaking slightly. Rose inwardly laughed at its reaction.

"But why?"

**"YOU WILL STOP THIS."**

"But…why?" The human turned to the Doctor, who lowered his arms along with Rose.

**"YOU MUST NOT QUESTION."**

The human Dalek turned back to the full blooded ones. "But you are not our master. And we…we are not Daleks."

The Doctor nodded, stuffing the hand not holding Rose's in his pocket. "No, you're not," he said softly. "And you never will be." He turned to the Daleks with a face of innocence. "Sorry. I got in the way of the lightning strike. Time Lord DNA got all mixed up." He turned to Rose and winked. "Just that little bit of freedom." She couldn't help but give him a small smile at him, though she still really wanted to slap him silly for sacrificing himself _again_ today.

**"IF THEY WILL NOT OBEY, THEN THEY MUST DIE!"** The Dalek yelled before shooting the questioning man, killing him dead.

"Get down!" the Doctor screamed to the others behind them while pulling Rose down to the floor behind the rows of seats for cover as both species began to shoot at each other. Dying screams of the human hybrids as they fell to the ground followed by two explosions echoed in the theatre. Finally the shooting stopped as they cautiously stood up from the ground.

There were a group of the hybrids still alive and the Doctor addressed them softly as he moved closer to them with a small smile. "It's all right, it's all right. It's all right. You did it. You're free." But that short moment of relief was shattered as a high pitched wailing sound spread across the theatre causing the hybrids to clutch their heads.

"What the hell is that?" Rose asked, looking around at the humans as they convulsed. They couldn't be-

Bodies began to fall to the ground and the Doctor yelled. "No!" He ran over to one of them to examine it. "They can't! They can't! They can't!"

Rose rushed to kneel beside him. "What happened?"

"They killed them," the Doctor said stunned, but Rose could easily sense his anger. "Rather than let them live. An entire species. Genocide." He spat out through gritted teeth.

"Only two of the Daleks have been destroyed," Lazlo informed. "One of the Dalek masters must still be alive."

"Oh, yes. In the whole universe, just one."

Rose shook her head. "Of course there is. They _always_ get away."

"What are we supposed to do?" Martha asked.

The Doctor glanced up at her. "Head back to Hooverville," he turned to Rose and visibly swallowed.

"I'm coming with you," she told him.

She knew very well where he was planning to go, and he wasn't confronting the last existing Dalek by himself. Again. Simply nodding they both stood up. The Doctor retrieved his coat and shrugged it on furiously before reaching for her hand as they made their way to the laboratory. Her nerves were shaking both in anger and fear at what would come out of this, but with the Doctor by her side hopefully something good.

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The last remaining Dalek was on the other side of the laboratory waiting for them as they entered. The Doctor came to a stop with Rose right beside him as he stared hard at it. Here they were - two survivors of two wiped out races, the last of their own kind. Where do they stand?

"Now what?" The Doctor asked.

**"YOU WILL BE EXTERMINATED!"**

Rose snorted and crossed her arms. "Like we haven't heard that before."

**"YOU ARE THE ENEMIES OF THE DALEKS. YOU WILL DIE."**

The Doctor impatiently nodded. They already knew that spiel, they didn't need to hear it again. "Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah," he spoke with annoyance. "Just think about it, Dalek, what was your name?"

**"DALEK CAAN,"** it answered.

"Dalek Caan," the Doctor repeated as he slowly walked over to it with Rose closely behind. "Your entire species has been wiped out, and now the Cult of Skaro has been eradicated - leaving only you. Right now you're facing the only man in the universe who might show you some compassion." He stopped until he was a few feet away from it. "Because I've just seen one genocide, I won't cause another. Caan, let me help you. What do you say?"

Rose held her breath for an answer, waiting to see what would happen next.

Suddenly Caan began to shake. **"EMERGENCY TEMPORAL SHIFT!"**

"No!" The Doctor shouted as he lunged forward to grab the Dalek, but was too late as it disappeared.

He growled and cursed inwardly before turning to Rose. Her eyes were closed but when she opened them they were misty with unshed tears and her hands shook at her sides as she balled them up into fists. Once again they got away, just as they always have, and now she was just as upset as he was - probably more. Walking over to her he pulled her into a quick hug and stroked her hair to calm her down when he heard a shout.

"Doctor!" It was Martha. She along with Tallulah and Lazlo rushed in the laboratory, both women carrying the man as he severely wheezed. They gently lowered him to the floor before Tallulah held his head in her lap comfortingly. "Doctor, he's sick." The Doctor came over and knelt beside him. "It's his heart. It's racing like mad. I've never seen anything like it."

"What is it, Doctor?" Tallulah asked fearfully with a broken voice. "What's the matter with him? He says he can't breathe? What is it?"

"It's time, sweetheart," Lazlo said quietly.

"What do you mean 'time'? What are you talking about?"

"None of the slaves…survive for long. Most of them only live a few weeks. I was lucky. I held on cos I had you. But now…I'm dyin', Tallulah."

Rose exchanged a sad look with the Doctor. There had to be something he could do to help this poor man.

"No you're not," Tallulah said firmly. "Not now, after all this." She glanced up. "Doctor, can't you do somethin'?"

"Oh, Tallulah with three Ls and an H…" the Doctor said sadly, before sucking in a breath and confidently proclaiming, "Just you watch me." He stood to his feet and swiftly shrugged off his coat, discarding it to the side. "What do I need? Oh, I don't know, how about a great big genetic laboratory?" He turned and grinned, thrusting his arms out. "Oh look, I've got one!"

Rose smiled proudly as he immediately ran around the lab and began to mix up chemical solutions in beakers, looking very much like a mad scientist. He continued to speak as he worked, "Lazlo, just you hold on. There's been _too_ many deaths today. Way too many people have died. Brand new creatures and wise old men and age-old enemies. And I'm tellin' you, I'm tellin' you right now, I am _not_ having one more death! Got that? Not one! Tallulah, out of the way," he took out his stethoscope and put it on. "The Doctor is in."

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Doing all that he could the Doctor managed to save Lazlo from dying, however he wasn't able to return him fully back to human form. Though unfortunate that the man had to live out the rest of his life with the face of a pig, they were able to convince the people of Hooverville to give home a home, and Tallulah was still by his side. It may not be peaceful, but given the environment it was a given chance. As long as they loved one another, then that was all the reassurance that couple needed.

After saying their goodbyes the three made it back to the TARDIS on the Island, looking back one last time at the city. "Do you reckon it's going to work, those two?" Martha asked.

The Doctor sighed. "I don't know. Anywhere else in the universe, I might worry about them, but New York? That's what this city's good at. 'Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses…"

"And maybe the odd-pig-slave-Dalek-mutant-hybrid too," Rose finished.

Martha laughed. "The pig and the showgirl!"

"The pig and the showgirl," he nodded.

"It just proves it, I suppose. There's someone for everyone," Martha said, eyeing the couple in front of her. The Doctor nodded again before turning to walk over to the TARDIS. "I've meant to say, I'm sorry."

He turned to her briefly as he unlocked the door. "What for?"

"Just because that Dalek got away. I know what that means to both of you," she said softly. "Think you'll ever see it again?"

"Oh, yes." He answered, opening the door and holding it for the girls. "One day."

As they made their way inside Martha noticed something shift in Rose, like some kind of uneasiness. Her anger and sadness from everything that happened today was too visible to hide, and she knew that not all of it had to do with confronting the Daleks again, but also by the Doctor's methods of handling them. They needed some space to talk amongst themselves.

"I'm gonna get changed and head off to bed, okay?" She told them.

The Doctor nodded. "No problem, have a nice rest."

Martha turned to walk down the corridor, leaving her friends alone to talk.

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**Oh, boy. ****Review!**


	20. Hello Darkness, My Old Friend

**A/N: Yeahhhh, you figured that Rose would be unhappy about the Doctor sacrificing himself…again. Especially in the way he did with the Daleks. And this is…pretty angsty. Just a smudge. It'll lead into something important later on in the story.**

**Thanks to the lovely people who've reviewed, followed, and faved! I adore you all ;)**

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_**Chapter 20: Hello Darkness, My Old Friend**_

Rose sat on the jump seat with one leg crossed over the other and picked at her nails. Her nerves had eased up somewhat after everything, but she was still shaken up. Not only did the last Dalek manage to escape, just as they _always_ did, but she was close to losing the Doctor to them - _twice._

Not counting the incident where he got himself electrocuted, which _also_ was entirely daft and risky, but the other times had him standing before them with the tempting offer to shoot him.

He was all that she had left. Her mother was ripped away from her by those bloody pepper pots, as well as her friend. But she didn't know what she would do if the Doctor was taken from her by those hateful things. She'd be living on alone with no one else. An empty forever - something she'd _never_ want to experience.

Martha announced that she was heading off to her room for a nap, but Rose had a feeling the woman knew that she wanted to confront the Doctor about him and his near-suicidal methods of handling situations and she inwardly thanked her for that. They may not be that open with Martha, but she was considerate enough to understand them as her friends and give them time.

But now she had to tell him off. "What if they didn't hold back?" she began quietly.

"Hm?" The Doctor answered, still facing the console. Oh, no, he wasn't hiding away from this.

"What if the Daleks hadn't changed their minds and killed you?" She spoke in a louder, firm voice.

She saw him stiffen, a muscle in his jaw twitching as he kept his head low. "Rose…" he said softly, barely audible in the quietness of the room.

"No, don't _'Rose'_ me, Doctor." Rose stood up from the jump seat. "You could've died today - _three_ times!"

"Well, that's not out of the ordinary," he said lightly, hinting at a joke.

Rose however, wasn't smiling at his attempt to lighten the mood. He was doing what he did best - evading the issue and soon he would change the topic. She wasn't kidding around right now. "Doctor, I'm serious," she told him firmly.

He sighed. "I'm aware of the dangers I put myself through, but it was part of my plan, that's all," he stressed.

She snorted. "'That's all'," she repeated in a mocking tone. "Sure, there's nothing wrong with that. It's nothing new. That's always the case, innit? You and your brilliant suicidal ideas, finding some new ways to get yourself killed."

"But I _didn't,_ isn't that good enough?" He said, with a hard voice.

"Don't switch this around," she warned.

"What would've happened if I hadn't thought up of anything, Rose? _Everyone_ would've died! Bad enough too many already had but it could've been _far_ worse."

"I get that, but you could've tired to figure something else out," Rose told him, saying the obvious. "It's one thing to save others from destruction, but to just throw yourself out there willingly to die like _that!?"_

The Doctor turned around to face her. "If I remember correctly, _you_ threw yourself along with me as well."

"To _stop_ you!" She shouted, thrusting her arms out. "If you were about to get yourself killed, then I was gonna stop you from doing it. And if it still was to happen, then I'd die along with you, simple as that. Don't you _dare_ turn this around on me."

"It was part of my plan, and it worked," he said with seriousness. "I know you're upset about it, and I'm sorry, I really am. It may not have been rational, but still, it _worked."_

"And what if it didn't?"

He shrugged nonchalantly. "Then I'd come up with another plan, just like I usually do."

Rose snorted. "Yeah, because you're _so_ brilliant at it," she said sarcastically.

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I _am,"_ he stressed, waving his hand. "Besides, I knew that they wouldn't fire-"

"First of all, don't just brush this off like it's _nothing,"_ Rose cut in._ "_And second, don't lie. You couldn't've known right away. You _didn't._ I saw the look on your face, and it was exactly like mine - you were just as shocked by their actions as I was. Maybe _more_."

The Doctor thrust a hand in his hair for a moment as he paced around the console before making a frustrated sound and lowering his hand, turning back to her. "Fine, I _was_ more than surprised by that, alright?" he said irritably. "But forgoing that, I already _knew_ we'd survive anyway, so I figured why not give my plan a try? It was worth it, wasn't it?" He thrust his arms out wide and gestured around the room. "And where are we now, Rose? Hmm? Do you see where we are? In the TARDIS…_alive."_

"So before all that, you were one hundred percent certain the entire time that the Daleks would hold back from killing you once confronted?" she asked, arching a brow and crossing her arms over her chest as she approached him.

His brows shot up to his hairline as he shook his head quickly. "Does it matter?" he shouted. "What difference does it make now-"

_Whack_.

Rose responded with a hard slap across his face, making him stumble back a bit into the console and her to wince inside by the sound of the crack at the contact.

He turned back to her with a hand on his cheek and face full of shock. "What the hell was that for!?" he cried indignantly.

"Oh, I don't know," Rose said calmly before raising her voice with her next words. "Maybe because you're a _ridiculous, daft, bloody, alien git!_ Of _course_ it matters!" She stepped closer to him, poking him hard in his chest with her finger. "I don't know if you realize this, but you're _not_ invincible, Doctor. You can still die. You're the one who's always saying that I constantly worry you, that I'm gonna make you regenerate on the spot because of the situations I get myself in. Well, what about _me!?_ Every time, every _bloody_ time, when you come up with a plan - which are always just so _monumentally_ ridiculous to say the least - you freak me out. I never know for certain if you're gonna actually survive or not sometimes."

"I always tell you that you can _trust_ me. Why would you think like that?"

"You think I _want_ to? I hate to even _think_ of something like that happening, because I _do_ trust you. I trust you with my _life._ I know that you're strong, but you always forgo my help."

"Rose-"

"No, I'm not finished yet," she cut in with a hand raised. "You're always pushing me away, but whenever I come back to help you, what do you do? You yell at me for putting myself in danger!" She laughed bitterly. "How hypocritical. It's all fine and cheery that _you_ can put _yourself_ in danger to save people including myself, but when _I_ do it for you, you snap!"

The Doctor lowered his hand from his face, looking at her warily. "Because I don't wanna see you get hurt! Or worse…see you die! You're strong, Rose - believe me, you _are_ - and I appreciate your help, I _always_ do, but you're not invincible either. Just because you're now a more advanced human and can take handle much more than average, that doesn't guarantee you're always safe. You can still be in greater danger as much as I can. I'm aware of what my body can withstand, but I can handle things more severe and fatal than you, Rose. I'm looking out for you-"

"And I'm doing the same for you!" Rose retorted. "I told you before, Doctor: We're a team, you and me. We're in this _together._ I know you do things out of the goodness of your hearts to protect me - and I love and respect you for that, I really _do_ - but it works both ways. I chose this life with you, and I knew very well what I was getting myself into." She lowered her gaze for a moment, closing her eyes, probably fighting back tears - tears that _he_ caused. "I didn't wanna break my promise to never leave you, no matter what."

He opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out. Instead he closed his eyes, letting out a shuddering breath. Everything she was saying was right. That's just it, Rose always said the right things. Truth be told, he wasn't expecting the Daleks to change their minds at all. For a split second he believed he _may_ actually have been killed - and he would've left Rose behind. _Alone_.

She'd be left all by herself for centuries with no one by her side, and that's never a pleasant occurrence. He can speak from experience and that kind of life could drive someone mad. No helping hand to hold, no comfort from another - only silence and sadness.

A hand came to rest on his cheek, which was still burning from that forceful slap Rose had given him, making him shiver inside. Opening his eyes, he saw her own softening. "You're all I have left, Doctor," she said quietly. "If I lost you…" she trailed off as she sniffed, holding in her tears.

Rassilon, he was thick. So, so _thick_. "Oh, Rose," he wrapped an arm around her shoulders to hold her close to gently stroke her hair while his other rested on her lower back rubbing small circles. "I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. I couldn't help myself. Every time we come upon them…they're always ruining our lives. Always finding ways to drive us _mad_."

He paused for a moment and inhaled deeply, taking in her scent as it washed over him. He had put her in greater danger when he put himself on the spot causing her to do the same. For _him._ And she didn't care whether she lived or died, as long as she was with him in the end.

Maybe he had been selfish to do such a thing like that after promising her that he'd always be there for her. Or maybe…he didn't know for sure, but he was glad she stopped him. If the roles were reversed he'd do the same thing in a heartsbeat, and if she were to…to actually get _killed_ by a Dalek or anything else for that matter, then he might as well have followed suit because he wouldn't have a purpose anymore.

"You always keep my head on straight," he said softly, still rubbing her back as he felt a few of her tears spill onto his neck where she buried her face. "If it hadn't held back…" he let out a deep breath. "Rose, I would never want to leave you behind as a result of my selfishness. I wasn't in my right mind," he chuckled mirthlessly. "Though I'm not even sure what my right mind really _is_. But one thing I _am_ sure of is that I'm better with you around."

Rose pulled back and wiped her face with her sleeve. "Better with two, yeah?" she tried to give a watery smile.

He nodded, wiping away her tear streaks with his thumbs. "Yeah." Dropping one of his hands, he wrapped his arm around the small of her back while caressing her cheek with the other. "And…just for the record, don't you _ever_ feel guilty about that time in Utah. That was _not_ your fault."

"Doctor-"

"Please," he cut in quietly. "Don't ever feel guilty about showing sympathy to that Dalek on that day. That's what you do - you care about others. What did you do earlier? You helped a little girl out by giving her something to eat, something fresh. And you made her day a thousand times better because of that heartfelt gesture. You do things out of the goodness of your heart as well, and that's very admiring and courteous of you. What happened back in Utah wasn't your fault, Rose. Daleks are born to hate, it's what they are. But still you studied it and saw a slim of promise in it - it was just overwhelmed by that move and was scared to feel."

"But…I touched it," she told him. "Then it killed all of those people."

"Because that's what they _do,"_ he stressed slowly. "No matter what, it's all they know and live by. The second something else hits them, they cower away. They're afraid of stepping out of the dark and into the light, afraid to burn with other emotions. You scared it for hat very reason - you showed them how to feel, how to care. They were just mislead by that and took it as a threat, but it was all that they needed to become better. I know those deaths could weigh you down - trust me, if anyone knows that, it's _me_ - but at the end of the day…so many others _lived."_

Rose held his wrist and squeezed it. "You're tryna fix _me_ now, are ya?"

The Doctor smirked. "Well, you're always fixing me."

She chuckled, massaging the inner skin of his wrist with her thumb. "Thank you. Sorry about that slap," she said, rubbing the mark.

He shook his head lightly. "I deserved it," he said with a small smile, placing a hand over hers still on his burning cheek. "At least I'll have a reminder about the limits of my…sacrificial and suicidal tendencies. Something to replace the one your mother gave me," he earned himself a soft giggle before pulling her close for another hug and dropping a light kiss to her temple. "Though I don't fully know what I did to deserve _you,"_ he added quietly. "How do you do it, Rose?"

"Do what?"

"How can someone as brilliant as you ever wanna be stuck with _me?_ How do you manage to always fix me?"

She pulled back a fraction and placed a hand on his chest between both hearts. "Cos it's what I'm good at, apparently," she teased, nudging his nose with hers before pressing a soft kiss to the tip.

He mentally kicked himself for continually hurting her like this. Bad habits were one thing but this exceeded the bar. Everything he did was for her to make sure that she would be safe no matter what. At the end of the day, they always _did_ look out for each other, and cared deeply about the other's well being - even if they were frustrating the hell out of each other.

"I'm gonna get some rest, too," Rose said. "Can you stay with me?"

He nodded. "Of course."

Taking her hand, they walked to their bedroom in silence. Once they got there, Rose shrugged on her pajamas while the Doctor only toed off his trainers and removed his tie, leaving on his jacket and Oxford. Laying down beside her, she made herself comfortable in his arms as she tried to fall asleep.

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It amazed the Doctor how, even though Rose didn't need as much sleep anymore, she still managed to dive straight into a deep slumber within five minutes - technically speaking it was really 4.9568 minutes, but still could be rounded up to five. Either way, it was a new record for her. _Yep, definitely could sleep more than the equivalent of a sleeping bear. _

Not that he was keeping track of how long it took her until she was in a deep sleep. Well…not _intentionally._ He needed an activity to do while waiting for her to wake up. Sometimes he would count how many breaths she took, or count how many times her nose twitched, or even…

Okay, he never admitted any of this to Rose in person, but he quite enjoyed watching her sleep, and he thought he really didn't have to tell her since she probably already knew.

Never had she gone off that quickly prior to their relationship and sleeping arrangement, with the exception of him staying with her in her own room whenever she came across a nightmare. Now that she slept in his bed her nightmares thankfully have receded, leaving her content in a peaceful state. As long as she was calmed, then so was he. Watching her like this was always reassuring and serene. From the many times they've shared a bed, as well as the many occasions where she fell asleep in his lap after he read her a story, he felt calmer as he soothed her in his arms.

Just knowing that she was lost in her dreams and not thrashing around frantically trying to fight off whatever was haunting her mind was very pleasing.

Humans waste so much time in their beds all wrapped up in their covers and sleeping away in their little fantasies when there was so much more to see out in the real world - in so many _other_ worlds. He often teased Rose for exceeding the average amount of hours needed for humans that she spent in her burrow of blankets, hence the reason he always had a thrill of waking her up. Still, she was at peace and he marveled at her beauty in her state of slumber.

Their argument still buzzed in his ears, every word beating loudly in his mind in the quietness of the room. How she could continuously stand him seemed to baffle him. But this is Rose, and that was what she always did. She was his shining star in the deep dark gallows of his conscience, always brightening him up.

Minutes passed by as he lay beside her on the bed, soon turning into an hour. For once in a very long while the Doctor began to feel a bit drowsy. Not to the point where he would need an extreme amount of rest, but he could do with about forty minutes or so. That's a sufficient amount. With Rose's hand in his, he brushed the backs of her knuckles softly before placing it gently on the bed as he turned over onto his back.

Folding his hands on his stomach he shut his eyes, letting his mind drift off.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

_Darkness, nothing but darkness. Always the darkness. He was used to it by now. It's something he's grown accustomed to after all this time. Strangely comforting in its cold and welcoming embrace. Everlasting as it stretched on and on with no end in sight, like being draped with a large cloth as it wrapped around you tight, concealing your vision behind a blindfold. Though it wouldn't matter if you were to take it off anyway. Look around to the west, the east, the sky, the ground - it's everywhere, everything. _

_No words, no sound. Only silence._

_Opening your eyes wasn't an issue when you can't see anything. Perking your ears up wasn't necessary when there was nothing to hear or listen to. Smelling wasn't a must when the air was clear and bland. Reaching out a hand was pointless when there's nothing to grab onto except the open air in front of you. Speaking was useless when you've got no one to talk to. _

_Only silence._

_A small blue beam of light illuminated the area, shining bright in the far distance, growing by the second as it slowly approached. Standing in a spot, he squinted as he adjusted to this new sudden disturbance as its glow seemed to brighten the closer it came. He could feel the chill almost instantly before it even was with reach._

_He felt a burst of heat burn against his neck. Turning around he was met with another blinding ray of light - not blue, but gold. Like the Sun, which hasn't been seen here in oh, so long. But this was different, it was…comforting in a different sense. Good different._

_The golden silhouette moved swiftly, floating high in the air as it hovered over his head like an angel. His eyes burned from its powerful beam as he raised his arm to shield his vision for a moment. A light warm breeze blew against his hair, whispering indistinct words like a melody in his ears. Lowering his arm he saw the figure slowly descend from its place, coming to plant down on the ground in front of him as its glow dimmed._

_Blinking rapidly he recognized the figure and gasped. Stunned by its beauty he opened his mouth to speak, trying to find his voice, but the figure ceased him by placing a gentle finger to his lips, hushing him. Confused he shook his head, trying to understand. The figure removed its finger and spoke, "Doctor."_

_That voice - that beautiful voice. His insides began to shake at the realization of this figure. Of course, who else would come to lead him out of the darkness? Only one could ever succeed in that. He found his voice as it came out of shock, but yet not too much of a surprise. _

_"Rose?"_

_The light dimmed down more, revealing the face of an angelic woman, her features standing out prominently. Rose smiled widely causing him to do the same. Before he could say another word, a loud screeching voice boomed over the quiet, calm silence. _

**_"EXTERMINATE!"_**

_He whipped around to see the blue light standing behind him, its body unseen, hidden in the dark. But he knew all too well what it was. Just as he made a move to evade its attack, Rose placed a hand on his shoulders stopping him. Trying to move proved to be impossible as his feet were somehow plowed into the ground, glued to the surface and immovable. He tried to move his arms only to realize he was restrained. _

_"What are you doing!?" he demanded._

_"Saving my Doctor," she answered. Though her glow dimmed, it remained in her eyes and he could easily make out the trail of tears streaking down her face._

_"No, don't!"_

_She walked past him until she stood in front of the Dalek, holding her arms out openly as an invitation. _

_"Rose, no!" He pleaded, not even trying to fight his own tears as they burned his cheeks. "Please, don't do this! Get out of the way!"_

_Rose turned around and smiled sadly at him. "I want you safe. I won't let you die alone."_

_"I won't let you die at all! Please, just let me save you, please!"_

_Without another word she turned around and was shot by the Dalek's ray gun. His screams ripped through the air, drowning out the sound of contact as she fell to the ground by his feet. Fighting against his restraints, he tried desperately to hold her in his arms. Maybe he could still try to save her. Maybe it wasn't too late._

_The Dalek moved its eyestalk up to him. __**"YOU WILL NOT BE EXTERMINATED."**_

_"WHAT!?" The Dalek rolled away. "No! You've always wanted me, then kill me! Just do it!" His pleadings were useless as the Dalek was gone._

_Suddenly Rose stood to her feet, appearing unharmed. He gasped in shock. "Rose! You're alive!"_

_She shook her head. "Like some Dalek would get rid of me. I'm not going anywhere."_

_He laughed breathlessly as she snapped her fingers, causing the darkness to lift, bringing in the light. Raising his head to the sky his smile dropped along with his hearts. The sky wasn't blue - it was burnt orange. Looking around he saw trees capped with snow, twin suns, red grass. _

_He saw his home. He saw Gallifrey, in all of its splendor._

_And then he saw it turn into Hell._

_His cries were useless as everything around him burned and turned to ashes. The sky that was once orange turned crimson. Looking behind him he saw the Citadel crack, the glass dome containing it exploding into shards falling around him. Then the cries. The bloodcurdling cries of men, women, and children. The sound of waves crashing beneath his feet urged him to look down, rivers of blood staining his shoes._

_His people. Gone._

_Panting in fear his eyes locked onto Rose's just before she moved closer to him. She placed a hand on his cheek and smiled sadly. "Burn with me."_

_"No. No, no, no."_

_Another explosion erupted above him. A Dalek command ship. The Skaro Degregation, the Nightmare Child - he saw everything around him fall apart while he just stood stuck into the ground, powerless. A chorus of whispers filled the air._

_"Killer of his Own Kind."_

_"Gallifrey falls!"_

_"My head…is killing me."_

_Wait a second. No. __He lowered his head to gaze into his savior's eyes - only to see her burst in a ball of flames._

_"Wait, no! No, no, no, no!"_

_"Burn with me," she repeated quietly._

_"NOOO!" His savior was perishing and all he could do was watch in horror. __One moment later her body blew up in front of him, bathing him in her blood. __"ROSE!"_

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In a jolt the Doctor shot his eyes open and sucked in a breath before letting it out in a quiet gasp. Sitting upright, he tried to calm his hearts down from their rapid beating before his respiratory bypass could kick in. Rubbing his eyes with his fingers he tried as hard as he could to rid the unpleasant scene from his mind. Rivulets of sweat ran down his brow and he wiped them away with his arm before brushing his fringe back with his hand.

Rassilon, those bloody Daleks. Every time he encountered them, something would creep into his mind.

Still panting he turned his head to look over at Rose over his shoulder, letting out a sigh of relief. Thankfully he hadn't disrupted her slumber from his sudden jerk, as well as seeing her safe and unharmed. Bending down slowly he brought a hand up and brushed her hair back before pressing a light kiss to her forehead. Pulling back he saw a small smile spread on her lips as she remained asleep. At least she was the one in the middle of a pleasant dream safe and sound.

Carefully as not to wake up Rose, the Doctor rolled off of the bed and made his way to the door, not even bothering to retrieve his trainers and tie. He took one last look at Rose in her peaceful state and smiled softly before quietly exiting. He would come back but a rest was something he couldn't do right now.

Upon entering the corridor he unbuttoned his jacket and his Oxford while the TARDIS gently nudged his mind. Usually She helps with the nightmares, but once in a while one could slip in through the cracks and permeate his conscience. Of course, so much build up can break the dam and let it flow, making them seem so real it's almost as if he was actually burning or drowning. After all this time he'd think he'd be used to it by now - and he _was_ - but the weight was heavy and weighing him down.

Even the TARDIS knew too much was lodged inside him waiting to release itself, but too much damage was locked in that it was fearful for sure, and if he were to share all of that with Rose, every little detail - well, he wouldn't be surprised if she'd back away. Something in him was telling him to not go into something so personal and revealing, but that itching feeling in the back of his mind kept telling him otherwise.

Whatever he'll do, he'll just wait. It's all he could do at the moment. But apparently the itch along with the TARDIS were pushing him to do it soon, and it scared him. Scrubbing a hand down his face, he inhaled a shaky breath before heading to the console room to tinker a bit. He would join Rose again later - hopefully by then his mind will have stopped tormenting him with memories.

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**Ohhh, anxiety. I was honestly a little iffy about this chapter, but…oh, well. It'll all make sense later on. Hopefully. Review! :)**


	21. The Lazarus Experiment Part 1

**A/N: LAZARUS! I'm guessing you all haven't noticed how excited I am for this one LOL XD**

**Many thanks to all who've reviewed, followed, and faved! You're all awesome, and I love your feedback! ;)**

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_**Chapter 21: The Lazarus Experiment Part 1**_

Rose took in a deep breath as she woke up and stretched her legs out. Her eyes were still closed but she could easily feel the bed empty on the side. Peeking through one eye she was met with just that. The Doctor must have left to tinker with something. But knowing him, he probably was overthinking everything from yesterday with the Daleks. It was a bad habit of his, it was what he did.

The argument they had still played over in her head along with the events of yesterday that caused it. She hoped he was all right, because when he dwells on something it's for a very long time, and she had a feeling that everything she told him was piercing through him. Was it too much? All of her yelling and slapping him dead in the face? Maybe, but she needed to let out her frustration at his antics before they tore her apart.

Rising to a seated position, Rose lifted her arms and also gave them a nice stretch before rubbing her eyes. Getting out of bed she walked over to the wardrobe and picked out her clothes - a red t-shirt and jeans, nothing fancy. She noticed the Doctor's plimsolls and tie were missing from where he set them by the nightstand before he laid beside her last night.

Looking up to the ceiling, she asked the TARDIS, "Where's the Doctor, Old Girl?" The ship responded with a soft hum and showed her an image of him sitting on the jump seat with his feet propped up on the console tinkering with some kind of mechanical thing-a-ma-bob.

Smiling up at Her, she said her thanks as she changed. It was amazing how she could communicate with the TARDIS the way she could. Usually She would only respond with hums, but lately She's been using images and visuals with an occasional melodic humming that almost sounded like a song. More than once Rose could've sworn that she heard soft whispers in her head as well when she slept, but they were forgotten when she woke. Something new and much more effective, Rose loved this wonderful ship and Her quirks.

Once she finished she headed out to the console room and bumped into Martha in the corridor. "Mornin'," she greeted.

"Is it really morning?" Martha asked with a chuckle. "It doesn't feel like it."

"Yeah, you can lose track of time in her, but don't tell the Doctor that. He won't believe you."

"Thanks for the tip." They both began to walk together. "So…how are you?" Martha asked.

Rose turned to her confused. "'M fine."

"Good. Cos you were pretty upset yesterday, and I wanted to give you two some time to talk it out."

"Thanks for being considerate," Rose said with a smile. "We had…a bit of a row, but made up."

Martha nodded her head. "Good. I'd never imagine you two in a fight. You're just so…happy all the time."

Rose shrugged. "We have one every once in a while, but we usually always come to a truce in the end."

"Well, that's normal, beings as you two are impossibly…different," Martha said with a smile.

"That's us," Rose chuckled. As they turned a corner and made it to the console room.

The Doctor felt their presence and stood from the jump seat, discarding the mechanical part he'd been working on off to the side carelessly. "Ah, there you two are! Ready?"

"You know it," Rose smiled, standing beside him at the console.

"Always!" Martha exclaimed. "Wait, what are we ready for?"

"Hold on tight!" He grinned widely as he pressed random controls before pulling the lever, sending them in-flight. Another moment later the TARDIS landed with a slight jolt. "There we go, perfect landing," the Doctor said. "Which isn't easy in such a tight spot."

"You should be used to tight spots by now," Martha replied jokingly before running down the ramp to the door. "Where are we?"

"The end of the line. No place like it," the Doctor told her.

Rose looked over at him with a raised eyebrow. "Are we…you know…?"

He nodded once with a sad smile as they followed Martha outside from the TARDIS. Stepping out Rose looked around at where they had landed. It was a very small flat that was somewhat messy with stuff on the bed and floor.

"Home," Martha realized before saying flatly, "You took me home?"

"In fact, the morning after we left, so you've only been gone about twelve hours," the Doctor clarified as he stood beside Rose with an arm around her shoulders, looking over at the family pictures framed on a dresser. "No time at all, really."

"Are you sure, Doctor?" Rose asked.

He turned back to her. "Doubting me again?"

She snorted and coughed behind her hand quickly saying, "Twelve months."

"One time!" he cried. "That only happened _once_." He groaned. "Are you ever gonna let that go?"

She smiled sweetly at him. "Nope. Never."

He sighed and rubbed his cheek. "So not only will I have to live with the painful reminder given to me by your mother because of that, but you'll always bring it up whenever given the opportunity, right?"

"Someone's gotta pull your leg. It's still kinda funny though, innit?"

"Sure, for _you_. You weren't the one who was accused of kidnapping and got slapped."

Martha flitted her eyes between them. She was about to ask what all of that was about but instead asked, "But everything we've done…Shakespeare, New New York…_old_ New York…"

"Yep. All in twelve hours." The Doctor released Rose and began to walk around her room. "I promise," he assured. Rose snorted behind him as he turned to shoot her a look. "All happened in one night, relatively speaking. Everything should be just as it was - books, CDs…" he stopped at the drying rack and nodded at the items hanging before picking up a pair of knickers with an arched brow, "Laundry…"

Martha shyly moved forward to retrieve them from his hand as well as the other the items, more specifically, those that were…intimate. The Doctor moved back over to stand by Rose, who elbowed him in the side. "Rude," she whispered.

Leaning against the door, he spoke aloud. "So, back where you were, as promised."

"This is it?" Martha asked.

"Yeah," he said, letting out a deep breath. "We should probably, ehm…"

He was cut off when the phone began to ring and a message came on the answering machine from a woman. _**"Martha, are you there?" **_came a woman's voice. _**"Pick it up, will you?"**_

"I'm sorry," Martha said. "It's Mum. It'll wait."

_**"All right then, pretend that you're out if you like,"**_ both the Doctor and Rose chuckled at Martha's mum as she continued. _**"I was only calling to say that your sister's on TV. On the news of all things. Just thought you might be interested."**_

Martha creased her brows as she grabbed the remote and turned her TV on. Sure enough her sister was there standing behind an elderly man talking to the media in a press conference. "**_The details are top secret-"_ **he was saying.

"How could Tish end up on the news?" Martha said as the others came closer to watch with her.

_**"Tonight, I will demonstrate a device…"**_

"She's got a new job," she told them. "PR for some research lab."

_**"…with the push of a single button, I will change what it means to be human,"**_ the man continued.

Martha shrugged and shut the TV off, turning back to the others who stared at the blank screen.

"Sorry. You were saying you should…?"

The Doctor shook his head, bringing himself as well as Rose out of their trance. "Yes…" he looked up at her and leaned against the TARDIS. "Yes, we should. One trip is what we said."

"Yeah. I suppose things just kind of…escalated."

Rose hummed. "That seems to happen to us a lot," she said, nudging the Doctor.

"Thank you. Both of you," Martha said sincerely. "For everything."

They both grinned while the Doctor said, "It was our pleasure," before opening the TARDIS door and stepping inside.

Rose, however, stayed outside for a moment. "Count to ten," she told Martha.

She looked confused. "What?"

"Just do it," Rose said with a wink before following him inside. Closing the door behind her, she stood on the ramp as he put the TARDIS in-flight. She began to count in her mind.

_One, two, three, four, five, six-_

"Wait a minute!" The Doctor whipped his head up from the monitor and brought them back in Martha's flat.

Rose sighed aloud. "Oh, damn. I only made it to six seconds until you'd realize. You're improving, though."

He arched a brow at her. "I see. You're timing me with everything I do now."

"How's it feel?"

He shook his head and rolled his eyes at her as they landed. Sticking his head out of the door, he saw Martha still in the same spot as they left her. "No, I'm sorry. Did he say he was going to change what it means to be _human?" _Martha giggled at him, making him confused. "What?"

"I was told to wait ten seconds."

"What?" He repeated as he turned to see Rose behind him leaning her chin on his shoulder smiling at Martha.

"Even better, you only had to wait for six." The Doctor huffed at them, as she shot him a teasing grin.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

After Martha had called her sister Tish, she managed to get an invitation to go to the party. The bloke who claimed was about to change the meaning of what it is to be human was named Richard Lazarus, some rich scientist that was presenting his work in his labs. Both the Doctor and Rose agreed to tag along and investigate what this supposedly remarkable revelation was all about. Heading back into the TARDIS they each went to get ready. While the Doctor occupied their room to change, Rose led Martha into the even larger wardrobe down another corridor.

Standing in the closet the girls looked over the dresses available for them. Martha picked out a simple black v-neck gown and started to change into it. Rose, on the other hand, couldn't decide on one. There were so many options to choose from, so many beautiful gowns and dresses that made it hard. She wasn't typically the type to go all out and dress up too formal when going on adventures, but whenever she and the Doctor had to crash a party, then she'd look the part well.

"Find one?" Martha asked from behind.

"I dunno what I should wear, I'm torn between these two." Rose pulled down two dresses - one that was black and simple with spaghetti straps, and another that was a deep crimson satin material with small ruffles.

Martha eyed both of them. "Both of them look really nice, so either would do. What do you think the Doctor would prefer?"

Rose snorted. "Oh, who knows with him. He probably wouldn't care which of these I'd wear as long as it looks decent."

"Well, by the way he looks at you I'd say that's a given," Martha said with a laugh. "It still baffles me that you two aren't married."

"Blimey, everyone's always saying that," Rose chuckled, holding up one of the dresses up to her body in front of a mirror.

"Cos you two just _seem_ like it. The way you act, the way you look at each other…the way you kiss," she added slyly.

Rose blushed a little. "That about sums us up - the couple that seems to be so much more."

Martha studied her for a moment and hesitated. "Can I ask you something? You don't have to answer it if you don't want to."

"'S alright, what is it?"

"I know it's personal…but just seeing the way you two act with each other, it's made me a little curious."

Rose arched a brow at her. Where was this headed? She had a vague idea of what she was implying and let her finish. "Go 'head. I don't mind."

"Have you two ever…you know…" she trailed off and laughed embarrassingly. "Oh, God, I can't believe I'm bringing this up, I'm sorry. It's none of my business."

"No, no, it's fine," Rose said honestly. "You're not the first one who thought about that, I'm sure. But…going along with what you were gonna ask…no." Martha's brows shot up in disbelief and Rose shrugged. "Not yet, at least."

"Oh. I'm really sorry, I just assumed. I didn't mean to mention it-"

Rose held up her hand. "Martha, it's fine, really. We're just…I dunno, waiting until we're both ready."

"Well, I know I have no say in your private life, but if you ask me, you two are more than ready," Martha told her.

Rose's cheeks burned as she turned her head back to the dress rack. After two years together of intense feelings being built up and held in probably would - no, not probably, it really _did_ guarantee that they both were ready to take their relationship up to the next level of intimacy. What was holding them back now?

"I think you should wear something to make him drool all over you," Martha said, bringing her out of her thoughts.

"As much as I'd love to do that, I honestly can't decide which one would-"

A slight zapping sound interrupted her. Looking at the mirror Rose noticed behind her on the door hook hung a dress that suddenly appeared. Turning around she placed her two choices back on the rack and stepped up to the mysterious piece of clothing. It was…beautiful. Not even that, it just seemed _perfect_ for her. Raising her eyes to the ceiling she felt a warm hum in her mind. Of course, the TARDIS must have specifically picked this up for her.

Walking back out into the bedroom Rose showed the dress to Martha, who was working on her hair and makeup in the vanity. She noticed her and gasped. "Where did that come from?"

"The TARDIS picked it out for me," she answered with a smile.

Martha laughed. "Well, She's got good taste. That's definitely gonna get his attention."

"That's probably why She picked it out. She loves teasing him."

"Looks like _you're_ gonna be the one teasing him tonight, Rose."

As both girls were helping each other out with makeup and hair, each was satisfied with the other's appearance when they finally finished. "Martha, you look so beautiful," Rose complimented her friend.

"Thanks, but nothing compares to you," she gestured at Rose's dress. "You're gonna make his jaw drop when he sees you."

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The Doctor stood in the console room fiddling with his bow tie as he waited patiently for the girls to finish getting ready. Okay, maybe not _patiently_ since he's been ready for almost twenty minutes now. Of course all he did was change into his black tuxedo with matching black plimsolls - because of all of the running - and his black bow tie. He was hesitant to wear it since nothing seems to go well when he does, but for once he would like to have something good come out of this outfit.

But then again, women - especially _human_ women - always seemed to take their time in freshening up. He often teased Rose because of that. It once took her thirteen minutes to change into another jumper laid out for her. Still, he wasn't going to yell for the girls to hurry up with whatever it was they were doing - but he was very antsy right now, so he hoped they were almost done. All he kept thinking about what exactly this 'miracle' that this Lazarus bloke was going to demonstrate. One just can't _change_ what it means to be human, so what was it?

He heard a clacking of heels against the grating as one of the women was entering the console room. "All set." It was Martha.

Turning around he smiled at her. She was wearing a simple yet pretty sequin black gown that flowed to her feet and her hair done in braids. "You look very nice, Martha," he told her sincerely as he tied his bow tie.

She smiled. "Thanks. You're not that bad either."

He chuckled. "Rose finished?"

Before she could even answer him the woman in question entered the room and his breath was ultimately taken away from him by her presence as he froze in his spot, forgetting about his tie.

Rose came in wearing a brightening smile and an equally dazzling sequin one shoulder dress with an asymmetrical neckline and three shoulder straps wrapped around the glimmering material of her bodice going behind her in splits, hugging her curves just right as the hem ended above her knees. Her hair was whipped up with a clip and brought down in a low side bun, her blonde waves contrasting with the royal blue shade of the dress's fabric and the faint shadow on her eyes that almost matched the TARDIS, making her all the more alluring.

As she stepped closer to him at the console he noticed the low heeled shoes on her feet - no doubt they were also perfect for running - elevating her by about half of an inch. Stopping in front of him, she slowly twirled in a circle to show him the full picture and his breath hitched. The three straps wrapped around her almost like a web and crossed into a small knot to the side, revealing much of the smooth, creamy skin of her back, with which he wanted to graze his fingers over the open expanse gently, if not greedily. Audibly gulping he couldn't help but admire her elegance as he raked his eyes over her figure with much appeal.

Only when she raised a hand to his face did he realize his mouth was hung agape and that he hadn't blinked, all a result of her divine beauty. She placed a hand under his chin and closed it for him since his mind - his brilliant, enormous, mind - had decided to shut down completely and forego any and all instinctive actions. Gripping the edge of the console with both hands behind him, he didn't trust himself to fall head over heels from her exquisite chic of both classy and sexy. It was almost criminal.

"Blimey," he breathed out huskily after swallowing hard.

Her eyes twinkled. "So…does this look okay?" she asked in a quiet voice that he swore sounded close to being a purr. _Rassilon, he's hanging by a thread._

Blinking rapidly he cleared his throat and tugged at his collar, trying to find his breath as well as his self control. Never has Rose been so tempting and gorgeous. Granted, he thought she was beautiful no matter what she wore or how she looked, but she was breathtaking right now in this dress, all dolled up like a goddess. "Rose…y-you're…you look so beautiful," he said quietly. "Absolutely stunning."

Rose lowered her head for a moment as she blushed before lifting it back up to meet his eyes. Her hands came up to his chest as she fixed his neglected bow tie. "You're rather dashing yourself," she said softly. "Very dapper - if not a little careless for not tying this."

He swallowed again as his hands moved on their own accord to rest on her hips before making their way around to her lower back, his cool fingers dancing tenderly across her skin causing both of them to shiver. "Well…remember when I said you can be a bit distracting?" he said with a low voice.

She tilted her head and smiled innocently as she toyed with his bow tie, batting her eyelashes. "I could change…if you want…"

A low growl escaped from his chest. "Don't you dare," he ground out, causing her to giggle before pulling her closer for a slow and savory kiss.

The sound of a throat being cleared immediately broke them apart. "I know you two fancy each other like a couple of lovesick teenagers, but we've got somewhere to be," Martha told them.

Rose licked her lips as she pulled back so he could straighten himself up, wiping the faint pink lip gloss that smeared on his lips. "Oops. Sorry I _distracted_ you," she said with her signature grin.

He arched an eyebrow at her, fighting the urge to take her back in his arms. _Yep, she was all he was going to pay attention to tonight._ Instead he turned his attention back to Martha and clapped his hands together. "Right. Okay, ladies, time to crash this party."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Leaving the TARDIS the three took off in a taxi for better convenience. Rose noticed in the corner of her eye that the Doctor kept stealing glances at her dress and she inwardly blushed once more. Ever since their relationship she's never felt so daring to wear such a thing. No doubt he was going to be more protective and possessive of her than he already was around the other people tonight, and she was perfectly fine with it. It proved how much she meant to him, and she loved it even more for that.

The TARDIS must've had a plan of some sorts for the both of them for choosing a dress like this. Cheeky ship. Always teasing and messing with them - mainly _him._

They dropped off about a block away from the location and started to walk. The Doctor grumbled as he fussed with his cuffs. "Oh, black tie. Whenever I wear this, something bad always happens."

"It's not the outfit, that's just you," Martha said, causing Rose to snort. "Anyway, I think it suits you. In a James Bond kind of way."

His brows furrowed as he pulled a face. "James Bond?" he asked in derision before considering the compliment and turning to Rose. "Really?" She shrugged and he grinned mischievously, leaning closer to her. "So does that make you my Bond girl, then?"

"If that's your way of calling me a seductress-"

"No, no, that wasn't it. Weeeell…"

She smacked his arm playfully. "If anything I'd probably be more like Miss Moneypenny-" he opened his mouth to speak, but she raised a hand to stop him. "-but I don't wanna be called that either, so drop that idea, please." He frowned and Martha couldn't resist snickering at his expression.

They made it to the doors of the building called Lazarus Laboratories and the Doctor flashed his psychic paper, allowing them to enter easily as they were marked as Martha's plus two. The reception was large as a crowd of people mingled with each other, probably all posh conversations. A tall circular chamber stood in the center of the room along with four posts bedside it.

Of course not long after they entered the Doctor spotted a caterer with a tray of food. "Oh, look, they've got nibbles! I love nibbles." Rose rolled her eyes as he picked a bunch of them and shoved them in his mouth. Turning to catch up to Martha he offered Rose some of the goodies held in his palm.

She held up her hand. "No thanks. You keep them to yourself." He grinned and threw another in his mouth, resembling a chipmunk by the way his cheeks puffed out. "Wonderful manners," she mumbled.

He arched an eyebrow and spoke with his mouth full, muffling his words. "Uv got menners, Wose. Wut do you take me fo?"

"Very professional," she sighed with a small smile, earning a wink from him.

Catching up with Martha they saw her hug the woman who appeared to be her sister, Tish. "You look great. So, what do you think? Impressive, isn't it?"

Martha nodded. "Very."

"And two nights out in a row for you. That's dangerously close to a social life," Tish joked.

"If I keep this up, I'll end up in all the gossip columns," Martha added.

"You might, actually," she gestured around the room. "You should keep an eye out for photographers, and Mum. She's coming too, even dragging Leo along with her."

"Leo in black tie?" she said in shock. "That I must see." She noticed her sister glancing over to the side. Turning around, she saw the Doctor with Rose behind him watching them with bemused smiles. "Oh, this is, uh, the Doctor-"

"Hello," he greeted happily, switching the hors d'oeuvres to his opposite hand as he shook her sister's hand politely with the other.

"Is he with you?" Tish asked.

"Um…sort of," she moved over, "And so is Rose."

"Nice to meet you," Rose greeted.

"But they're not on the list," Tish said. "How did they get in?"

Martha gestured at them. "They're my plus two," she answered nervously.

The Doctor cleared his throat before changing the topic. "So, this Lazarus bloke, he's your boss?" he asked Tish.

"Professor Lazarus, yes," she corrected, "I'm part of his executive staff."

Martha turned to the Doctor and Rose. "She's in the PR department," she told them with an eye roll.

"I'm head of the PR department, actually," Tish said with a smile.

"You're joking!" Martha exclaimed.

Tish shook her head. "I put this whole thing together."

"So, uh, do you know what the professor's going to be doing tonight?" the Doctor asked, nodding at the large chamber. "That looks like it might be a sonic microfield manipulator."

Tish chuckled. "He's a science geek. I should have known." Rose snorted behind them at that. How true. Martha's sister turned her head for a moment before bringing it back. "Got to get back to work now. I'll catch up with you later. With that she walked away.

The Doctor arched an eyebrow and asked quietly. "'Science geek'? What does that mean?"

Rose giggled while Martha answered with a smile. "That you're obsessively enthusiastic about it."

"Oh," he said with a frown, then considered it and grinned widely. "Nice."

"You're more than just a _science_ geek," Rose added with a laugh. "You obsess over lots of things."

He lifted his chin up proudly and sniffed just as a woman called for Martha.

"Mum!" She threw her arms around her the moment she saw her.

"Oh! Alright," her mother returned the hug, happily surprised by the sudden gesture. "What's the occasion?"

"What do you mean?" Martha asked. "I'm just pleased to see you, that's all."

"You saw me last night."

_Oh yeah._ The last few days have been a whirlwind and she completely forgot that she was only gone for twelve hours. That had to be a common mistake. Trying to cover up her overreaction to seeing her mum, Martha smiled and came up with a lame excuse. "I know. I just…miss you." She turned to her brother. "You're looking good, Leo."

Leo snorted. "Yeah, if anyone asks me to fetch 'em a drink, I'll swing for 'em."

"You disappeared last night," her mum reminded her.

"I…just went home," she said.

"On your own?" her mum asked, glancing behind her with a raised eyebrow.

Martha knew exactly who she was staring at as she turned and pulled them forward, introducing them. "These are friends of mine, the Doctor and Rose."

The Doctor shook Leo's hand while Rose waved. "Doctor what?" Martha's mother asked suspiciously.

"No, it's just the Doctor," Martha said. "We've been doing some work together."

"Lovely to meet you, Mrs. Jones," the Doctor said, shaking her hand, while Rose greeted Leo. "Heard a lot about you."

"Francine," she clarified. "Have you? What have you heard, then?"

"Oh, you know, that you're Martha's mother, and…um…" he stammered over his words. Honestly he didn't know anything else about this woman. "No, actually, that's…that's about it. We haven't had much time to chat, you know, been busy."

"Busy?" Francine asked. "Doing what, exactly?"

Just as the Doctor was about to stutter again in response, Rose spoke up and saved him. "Helping people, Mrs. Jones. Lots of people's lives are always at stake, and we save them."

That answer seemed to do enough justice as the Doctor winked at her while Martha leaned over to whisper, "Thanks for that."

Before the awkwardness of the conversation could resume, Lazarus entered the room to stand behind a podium placed in front of the large chamber while a few technicians stood to the side as the elderly man addressed the crowd.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I am Professor Richard Lazarus and tonight I'm going to perform a miracle. It is, I believe, the most important advance since Rutherford split the atom, the biggest leap since Armstrong stood on the moon." A group of photographers moved closer to the front, waiting to do their job. "Tonight, you will watch and wonder," the man continued. "Tomorrow, you'll awake to a world which will be changed forever."

Rose felt a twitch inside and tapped the Doctor's arm. He glanced at her and raised an eyebrow, then nodded once. Drossing his arms over his chest he turned his attention back to the machine to observe this so-called miracle.

Lazarus popped open the door to the chamber and stepped inside while the technicians moved to work on the controls on the side. A whirring sound filled the room as the four pillars surrounding the machine began to spin. Each revolution was faster in pace as an energy field was created around it. Judging by another twitch in her body, Rose could tell something was wrong.

As if on cue an alarm blared out from the controls. "Something's wrong," the Doctor said. "It's overloading." In a flash he leaped over a table and dashed over to the controls. Sparks began to fly from the panel, smoke trickling out. He grabbed his sonic and ran it over the panel trying to stabilize the machine.

"Somebody stop him! Get him away from those controls!" A woman screamed over the commotion.

"If this thing goes off, it'll take the whole building with it!" he shouted back. "Is that what you want?" He let out a frustrated noise as he discarded the control panel and ran over to the plugs connected to the chamber, pulling it out.

The pillars slowed to a stop as Rose and Martha immediately went up to the door. The Doctor made his way over to join them, "Get it open!"

With a firm grip Rose managed to pry the door open, backing up as clouds of smoke poured out from the chamber. The Doctor pulled her back gently as a figure exited the machine. But it didn't look like Lazarus - at least the _old_ Lazarus.

Stepping through the smoke was a man who looked to be in his mid-thirties, shaking lightly after the effects of the device. Everyone in the room gasped in shock while the photographers moved even closer. The man looked down at his hands before placing them on his face, feeling his skin.

Smiling wide and spreading his arms out proudly, he addressed the stunned crowd. "Ladies and gentlemen, I am Richard Lazarus. I am seventy-six years old and I am reborn!"

The room erupted in applause of astonishment as the photographers took their pictures. The guests began chatting to each other while the Rose and Martha stood with widened eyes as the Doctor studied one of the pillars.

"That's just not right," Rose said, eyeing the man as he stepped down to chat with the media people.

"It can't be the same guy," Martha said, also staring at him. "It's impossible. It must be a trick."

"Oh, it's not a trick," the Doctor said, from behind them as he studied the pillar. "I wish it were."

"Then what just happened?" Rose asked.

The Doctor looked over at Lazarus and inhaled deeply. "He just changed what it means to be human."


	22. The Lazarus Experiment Part 2

**A/N: Next part :) I had a blast with this chapter! Well, honestly this whole episode was fun xD**

**I was gonna wait until tomorrow to post this, but as I was looking over it again I couldn't resist putting it up now hehe You're welcome ;)**

**Thanks to all the lovely people who have reviewed, followed, and faved! You're great motivation for me :)**

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_**Chapter 22: The Lazarus Experiment Part 2**_

"How's that even possible?" Martha asked. "How can one change what it means to be human?"

"You _can't,_ that's what's wrong with this whole thing," Rose said, staring at Lazarus in the distance as he chatted with some of the guests and reporters.

"Wait a minute, what about you, Rose?"

"What?"

"Well, I mean, _you're_ not really human…anymore," Martha pointed out. "D'you think he's the same as you?"

"Rose's circumstance is entirely different," the Doctor cut in, still examining the pillar. "Technically speaking, her situation came as an accident, and out of something totally different and unique when compared to this. No," he stood up and stepped away from the chamber. "This was no accident. Impossible, yes, but it was all intentional."

"Then let's question the man of the hour," Rose said, looping her arm around the Doctor's as they, along with Martha, strolled over to Lazarus. The closer they came, the more she felt twitchy.

The man was talking to an elderly woman when he noticed before a caterer passing by with tray of hors d'oeuvres. He picked it from their hands and popped a bunch into his mouth quickly. "I'm _famished_," he said, mouth full of food.

"Energy deficit," the Doctor informed him as they approached him cautiously. "Always happens with this kind of process."

The man turned to him, eyeing him suspiciously. "You speak as if you see this every day, Mr.…?"

"Doctor," he corrected. "And, well, no, not _every_ day, but I have some experience in this kind of transformation."

Lazarus smiled smugly. "That's not possible."

"Using hypersonic sound waves to create a state of resonance," the Doctor said with ease, making Rose smile at him. "That's-that's inspired."

"You understand the theory, then," Lazarus said seeming impressed.

"Enough to know that you couldn't possibly have allowed for all the variables."

"No experiment is entirely without risk," Lazarus told them evasively.

Rose scoffed at that. "That thing nearly _exploded, _and you nearly took whole place down with you. You may as well have stepped into a blender."

_"You're_ not qualified to comment," the elderly lady beside him said with distaste.

"Oh, and I guess that makes _you_ an expert on all this? What's your analysis, then?" Rose shot back.

The Doctor squeezed her hand with his opposite on the arm not looped around hers, trying to keep her steady. "If I hadn't stopped it, it would have exploded," he assured them.

"Then I thank you, Doctor," Lazarus said. "But that's a simple engineering issue. What happened inside the capsule was _exactly_ what was supposed to happen. No more, no less."

"You've no way of knowing that until you've run proper tests," Martha said.

The man laughed and gestured at himself. "Look at me! You can see what happened. I'm all the proof you need."

"This device will be properly certified before we start to operate commercially," the lady said confidently.

"You are joking," Martha shook her head. "That'll cause chaos."

"Not chaos - _change_," Lazarus clarified. "A chance for humanity to evolve, to improve."

"This isn't about _improving_," the Doctor gritted out. "It's about you and your customers living a little longer."

"Not a little longer, Doctor, a _lot_ longer. Perhaps indefinitely."

"Richard, we have things to discuss," the lady cut in, glancing at the the three of them with distaste. "Upstairs." She took one more look at them and sauntered off with her nose up in the air. Rose inwardly rolled her eyes. _These posh, snobby types were so irritating._

"Goodbye, Doctor," Lazarus said as followed the woman before turning after a few steps back at them. "In a few years, you'll look back and laugh at how wrong you were."

He held a hand out for Rose like a gentleman, but she kept her arm looped around the Doctor's and refused his offer. The man simply smirked as he moved over and took Martha's hand, placing a kiss to the back of it. With that confident smile still spread on his face, he turned on his heel and walked away.

"God, these people," Rose commented, shivering slightly at the chill the man gave off. "No personality except for ego and vanity."

"Oh, he's out of his depth," the Doctor said. "No idea of the damage he might have done."

"So now what do we do? Is there a way to run tests on him or something?"

"Well, this building must be full of laboratories. I say we do our own tests."

Martha grinned at them and held up the hand Lazarus kissed. "Then it's lucky I've just collected a DNA sample then, isn't it?"

A slow grin spread on their faces. "Oh, Martha Jones, you're a star," the Doctor told her.

"Glad you went along with that, cos there was no way I'd let that freak touch me," Rose snorted.

The Doctor scoffed at her. "He won't get anywhere near you with me standing next to you."

She grinned cheekily. "Possessive, Doctor?"

"Oh, yes."

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The gang made their way into one of the laboratories to figure out this Lazarus situation. With the help of his DNA sample he planted on Martha's hand the tests could easily be made. Martha sat down in a chair in front of a computer while the Doctor and Rose stood on either side of her, leaning over to peer at the diagrams.

Whipping out his glasses, the Doctor studied the results and muttered, "Amazing."

"What?" Martha asked.

He nodded to the screen. "Lazarus's DNA."

Martha looked closely at the scans but was unsure of what he was talking about. "I can't see anything different."

"Look at it," he insisted excitedly.

Eyeing the screen intently they watched as one of the DNA strands suddenly twitched and altered its form. "Oh, my God. Did that just change? But it can't have," Martha said in disbelief.

"But it did," Rose commented, crossing her arms over her chest.

The other woman shook her head. "It's impossible."

"And that's two impossible things we've seen so far tonight," the Doctor said before looking over at Rose with a wide grin. "Don't you love it when that happens?"

She smiled back at him as Martha declared, "That means Lazarus has changed his own molecular patterns."

"Hypersonic sound waves to destabilize the cell structure, then a metagenic programme to manipulate the coding in the protein strands," he explained.

"In simpler terms, science geek," Rose said lightly.

He glanced back up at her and smirked before rephrasing the complicated terms. "Basically, he hacked into his own genes and instructed them to rejuvenate."

"Yeah, but look again," Rose pointed to the screen just as another strand twitched.

"They're still mutating," Martha realized.

The Doctor leaned closer to study the mutation. "Because he missed something. Something in his DNA has been activated and won't let him stabilize - something that's trying to change him."

"Change him into what?"

He shook his head and let out a deep breath. "I dunno, but I think we need to find out."

"That posh woman he was with said they were going upstairs," Rose reminded.

"That she did," he grabbed Rose's hand. "Let's go."

"What happened to allons-y?" She asked with a smile.

He nodded as they headed out. "Fair enough. Allons-y!"

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Boarding the lift, they waited until they made it to their destination. Martha turned to Rose and asked, "What makes you different from normal humans exactly?"

"I'm more advanced…in a way," she answered, shrugging a shoulder.

"Well, that explains it," Martha said with a chuckle.

"It's…complicating. I basically looked into the Heart of the TARDIS and took in the Time Vortex."

"And it altered her DNA," the Doctor added. "Making hers somewhat similar to mine, but…not fully. She's still human, just genetically advanced and more evolved."

Martha blinked and nodded. "Okay…and that was accidental?"

"Yeah, I was tryna get back to this one over here," she patted the Doctor's arm. "And it just sorta…happened."

He smiled down at her. "Can't get rid of you," he joked. "But I was a different man back then."

Rose smiled at him and nudged his shoulder. "Don't I know it."

Instead of getting a straight answer to her question Martha was only left with more, but she accepted their reply. Finally the lift made it to the top, and the three exited as they walked down the hall. One specific room stood out more from the others, which clearly gave away its occupant.

Slowly entering the dark room the Doctor flipped a switch on the side turning the lights on.

"This is his office, all right," Martha said.

"So, where is he?" the Doctor asked, looking around before stepping in.

A cold chill shot down Rose's spine, and as she moved around in the room she came across the cause of it. "Doctor…" She felt a sickening feeling in the pit of her stomach at the sight before her. From behind a desk lay the remains of a woman, her appearance was skeletal with a sunken in face and a pair of high heel shoes on were still worn on her feet. Kneeling down beside it she felt a wave of nausea come over her. The woman was drained to a husk.

Both the Doctor and Martha came over to her. "Is that the woman?" she asked, horrified.

"It was," Rose said quietly the Doctor knelt beside her to examine the body.

"Just a shell now," he said. "Had all the life energy drained out. Like squeezing the juice out of an orange."

"Lazarus," Rose and Martha said in unison.

"Could be."

"So he's changed already," Martha said.

"Not necessarily," he said letting out a breath. "You saw the DNA, it was fluctuating. The process must demand energy. This might not have been enough."

"So he might do this again," Rose said, before widening her eyes and meeting his gaze. "Doctor, all those people." Without hesitation they jumped to their feet and dashed out for the lift.

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Finally making it down to the reception hall after impatiently waiting for the lift, they swerved through the crowd searching for Lazarus. "I can't see him," Martha said frantically.

The Doctor took Rose's hand and darted over to another side, scanning the area. "He can't be far. Keep looking."

"Check by the machine," Rose suggested as they took off.

Before Martha could continue looking, Leo came up to her and stopped. "Hey, you all right? I think Mum wants to talk to you."

"Have you seen Lazarus anywhere?" she asked quickly.

"Yeah, he was getting cozy with Tish a couple of minutes ago."

"With _Tish!?"_ Martha cried.

Both Rose and the Doctor heard her and immediately came over to her, as well as her mother. "Ah, Doctor-"

"Where did they go?" the Doctor asked quickly, ignoring the woman.

Leo looked confused. "Upstairs I think, why?"

"Doctor-" Francine tried again but he along with Rose passed by her, accidentally spilling her drink on her in the process. "I'm speaking to you!" she called after them.

"Not now, Mum!" Martha called back as she followed them.

Shaking her head Francine stood where she was in shock and caution as her daughter rushed after those people who she claimed to be her friends. Something about that couple gave her a chill, fearing exactly what they were doing with Martha. They could be poisoning her precious girl's mind into doing dangerous stunts, ruining her ambitions by planting negative ideas there instead.

"I think you need one of these," said a man dressed in a tux who came up to her with another glass of champagne, handing it to her.

"Thank you," she said as she took the glass gingerly. "That's very kind of you."

The man turned to look in the direction where Martha and that Doctor and Rose ran off to. "Do you know that couple?"

"No. They're…friends of my daughter's," she answered with a frown.

"Perhaps she should choose her friends more carefully," he told her quietly before walking away.

_That was a sign,_ Francine thought. Her suspicions were confirmed: those people weren't good for her Martha - they were trouble.

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The three made it back up to Lazarus's office, which was still empty with the man himself and Tish nowhere around. "Where are they?" Martha asked frantically.

"Fluctuating DNA will give off an energy signature," the Doctor said as he pulled out the sonic and began to scan the room. "I might be able to pick it up…got him!" he exclaimed.

"Where?" Instead of answering her, he held the sonic up to the ceiling. "But this is the top floor," Martha told him.

"What about the roof?" Rose suggested as she turned to run out of the room.

"Exactly," the Doctor agreed as he and Martha caught up to her and made their way up the stairs to the rooftop. Coming up to the door, he opened it quietly before stepping outside. Sure enough, Lazarus was standing with Tish.

The Doctor turned to them and placed a finger over his lips as a signal to remain silent as they snuck out to stand a fair distance away from them.

"I find that nothing's ever exactly like you expect," they overheard Lazarus say to Tish. "There's always something to surprise you. 'Between the idea and the reality, between the motion and the act-'"

"'-Falls the shadow'," the Doctor finished the quote softly, making their presence known.

Lazarus turned to them with a surprised expression. "So, the mysterious Doctor knows his Eliot. I'm impressed."

"Martha, what are you doing here?" Tish whispered irritably.

"Tish, get away from him," Martha told her firmly.

"What? Don't tell me what to do."

"I wouldn't have thought you had time for poetry, Lazarus," the Doctor spoke up. "What with you being busy defying the laws of nature and all."

"You're right, Doctor," Lazarus said with that condescending smirk that Rose wanted to slap off of his face. "One lifetime's been too short for me to do everything I'd like. How much more would I get done in two or three or four?"

The Doctor shook his head. "Doesn't work like that. Some people live more in 20 years than others do in 80. It's not the _time_ that matters, it's the _person_."

"But if it's the _right_ person, what a gift that would be."

"Or what a _curse_. Look at what you've done to yourself."

Lazarus snorted. "Who are you to judge me?"

"Over here, Tish," Martha ordered again.

Tish rolled her eyes as she stomped over to her. "You have to spoil everything, don't you?" she snapped. "Every time I find someone nice, you have to go and find fault."

Rose felt another chill as Lazarus began to spasm. _Oh, God_. She tapped the Doctor's arm and he stiffened.

"Tish, he's a monster!" Martha yelled.

"I know the age thing's a bit freaky, but it works for Catherine Zeta-Jones," her sister said.

"Uh, Tish," Rose began. "The age part isn't the only thing that's freaky."

As she turned around she didn't see Lazarus anymore - now she was met with the grotesque monster that Lazarus had become, which resembled a scorpion with a skeletal exterior and a human face. The creature growled and that was their cue to scram.

"Run!" the Doctor shouted as he grabbed Rose's midsection to push her ahead of him as they dashed for the door. The girls passed through and once the Doctor did, he soniced the door shut behind him before continuing.

They caught the lift and Tish looked horrified. "Are you okay?" Martha asked.

"I was gonna snog him," Tish said quietly out of disbelief.

A loud banging noise came from above them and then the lights went out, causing an alarm to blare, _**"Security One."**_

"What's happening?" Rose asked, her eyes dancing around the darkened hall.

"Uh, it's an intrusion," Tish told her. "It triggers a security lockdown. Kills most of the power. Stops the lifts. Seals the exits."

"He must be breaking through that door," the Doctor said as he glanced over to the side. "C'mon, the stairs!" He grabbed Rose's hand as the four of them dashed down the stairs.

They heard the door finally crash open from above. "He's inside!" Martha cried.

"Haven't got much time!" the Doctor yelled, not slowing his pace as he dragged Rose along with him. She inwardly thanked herself for choosing to wear a pair of dressy shoes that were still fit for running.

Finally making it back down to the reception, the Doctor whipped his head around. "Tish! Is there another way out of here?"

She pointed to the side. "There's an exit in the corner, but it'll be locked now."

"Rose," he tossed her the sonic. "You know the setting for locks?"

"54, right?" she asked.

He smiled proudly. "That's my girl. Hurry," he thrust his hand over to the exit before jumping up to the chamber to address the guests. "Listen to me! You people are in serious danger! You need to get out of here right now!"

One of the posh women scoffed. "Don't be ridiculous, the biggest danger here is choking on an olive."

Rose rolled her eyes and made an irritated sound as she worked on the doors. _Snobs_. Just then they heard glass shatter as Lazarus broke into the room. "Everyone, this way!" she called out to the screaming guests.

As the girls ushered the people out of the room Lazarus smashed his way through the reception before stopping in front of a woman frozen in shock. "No! Get away from her!" the Doctor yelled but it was too late. All that was left of the woman was a drained corpse as she fell to the floor. He looked over and saw Leo on the ground with Martha and Francine trying to get him to his feet, but Lazarus was headed for them.

The Doctor stepped down from the platform and ran up to the creature. "Lazarus! Leave them alone!" He got its attention. "What's the point if you can't control it? The mutation's too strong. Killing those people won't help you. You're a fool - a vain old man who thought he could defy Nature. Only Nature got her own back, didn't she? You're a joke, Lazarus! A footnote in the history of failure!" With that he dashed down a corridor with Lazarus chasing after him.

"What's the Doctor doing?" Tish asked as Martha examined Leo's condition.

Rose licked her lips and shivered inside. "He's trying to buy us some time, let's not waste it. How is he?"

"He's got concussion," Martha said before putting some ice in a napkin and pressing it to his head. "That'll keep the swelling down. We'll need to help him downstairs."

"Okay, let's go."

They made it to the large doors, but noticed much of the guests were locked in. "We can't get out!" Tish cried. "We're trapped!"

Looking around Rose noticed a panel off to the side. "I'm on it!" Sliding over a desk she ran the sonic over the controls, hoping it would reactivate the system. Another moment later the power came back on as the doors unlocked, the frightened guests pouring out of the exit. Making her way out she saw Martha checking on her family. "Everyone okay?"

Martha nodded. "Yeah, think we're good."

"Good. Right then, I'll see ya. Nice meeting you all!" With that Rose took off to the stairs.

Watching her friend dart back in the building Martha knew what she was doing, and she couldn't leave them alone with that monster. Turning back to her family, she told them quickly, "I've got to go back."

"You can't!" Francine cried, grabbing her arm to stop her. "You saw what that thing did, it'll kill you."

"I don't care, I have to go."

"It's that Doctor, isn't it? Him and that woman, Rose?" Francine said with a mix of seriousness and fear. "That's what's happened to you. That's why you've changed."

"He was buying us time, Martha," Tish said. "Time for you to get out, too. He's got Rose with him, they're fine."

Martha shook her head and released herself from her mother. "I'm not leaving them behind."

Running back inside up the stairs, Rose was at the top waiting for her. "Told you I'd see ya," she said with a smile before they took off.

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Once the lights turned on, the Doctor was exposed as the basement lit up, and he stopped creeping through the tall pipes. "Peek-a-boo," the voice rasped. Raising his head, he saw Lazarus hanging above him.

"Oh…hello," the Doctor greeted before dodging the creature's attack, running down another corridor. He made it to another lab and bust his way in. He noticed the gas jets and came up with something, and it would be a big bang.

Jumping on a table he began to pull apart the smoke alarm. He reached into his jacket to grab the sonic out of instinct, then remembered he gave it to Rose to unlock the doors. Muttering to himself, he spliced the wires manually before stepping down to turn on the gas jets. _Maybe he could make her one of her own to keep one day._

Suddenly the door busted down as Lazarus crashed through, prompting the Doctor to immediately duck behind the table and quietly crawling to the back of the room.

"More hide-and-seek, Doctor? How disappointing," the creature rasped, searching the room. Remaining silent, the Doctor turned on the last of the gas jets as Lazarus continued. "Why don't you come out and face me?"

"Have you looked in the mirror lately?" he said aloud before standing up into view. "Why would I wanna face that, hmm?"

In a swift motion he turned away and ran to the exit, slamming the light switch on the way out before diving forward to the floor as the lab exploded. Quickly scrambling to his feet he charged down the hall. As he turned a corner he let out a noise of surprise as he bumped into Rose with Martha close behind her.

"What are you two doing here?" he asked bewildered.

"Returning this," Rose grinned as she handed him the sonic. "You're useless without it."

Pocketing the device, he arched an eyebrow at her. "How did you-?"

"I heard the explosion, so of course I knew it'd be you."

He nodded. "I blasted Lazarus."

"Did you kill him?" Martha asked.

Just as he opened his mouth to respond the monster in question barged into the hall. "More sort of annoyed him, I'd say, c'mon!" The Doctor pushed the girls ahead of him as they tore through the corridors for an exit, resulting in them ending up in the reception hall.

"We've just run around in a circle," Martha said.

"Now what?" Rose asked hurriedly as the Doctor looked around for some kind of options.

He turned to the chamber. "We can't lead him outside. Come on, get in." Without any protest, the girls rushed in just as Lazarus turned a corner and was entering the room. The Doctor pushed himself in and shut the door behind him, leaning his back against it. The chamber was extremely snug as Martha was squeezed to his side and Rose was pressed…_very_ close to his front.

He gulped, hopefully not too audibly, at this situation - this very _intimate_ situation. _Oh, boy._

"Are we hiding?" Martha asked, trying to get comfortable.

"No, he knows we're here," the Doctor said. "But this is his masterpiece. I'm betting he won't destroy it, not even to get at us."

"But we're trapped!"

"Well…yeah, that's a slight problem," the Doctor admitted with a slight head tilt.

"You mean you don't have a plan?" Martha asked incredulously.

"Yes, the plan was to get inside of here," he told her.

"And then what?"

"Well…then I'd come up with another plan," he answered quickly, making Rose snort.

"In your own time, then," Martha snapped.

"He makes them up as he goes along," Rose told her. "He's usually brilliant at it…" she looked up at him. "_Usually_."

Rolling his eyes the Doctor squirmed around accidentally elbowing Martha in the side. "Sorry, sorry," he apologized. Proceeding with the stickiness of the situation, he attempted to reach a hand into his jacket to grab the sonic…and ended up with it going through one of Rose's shoulder straps and flat against her open chest just above the low neckline of her dress.

They both looked at each other in surprise before Rose helped him out by retrieving the sonic herself, her cheeks blushing. "Need this?" She said, waving it at him with a teasing grin.

Feeling his ears turn pink he realized he had yet to remove his hand from her chest. Quickly pulling it back he grabbed the sonic. He cleared his throat and smiled. "Thanks," he said in a low voice.

"What're you gonna do with that?" Martha asked.

He held it up and grinned. "Improvise." Now to get to his destination. _Shouldn't be too hard, right?_ Well…it was.

Moving in what little space was available the Doctor tried to slide down to the floor with great difficulty as all he was thinking about was that, in the process, he was sliding down Rose as well, causing his breath to hitch. _Rassilon, help him. _

He crouched down on the floor, but Rose's foot was above the panel he was about to work on. Carefully he placed his hand around her ankle and gently nudged her foot over a little. "'Scuse me."

Rose couldn't help but smile down at him. This was very…pleasing in a way. "'S okay, you're fine," she said, then lightly added, "Sorry if I'm too distracting." The Doctor glanced up for a second and smirked before returning to panel with the sonic, pulling it up.

"I still don't understand where that thing came from," Martha said. "Is it alien?"

"No, for once it's strictly human in origin," he said.

"_Human?_" she asked in disbelief. "How can it be human?"

"Probably from dormant genes in Lazarus's DNA. The energy field in this thing must have reactivated them. And it looks like they're becoming dominant."

"So it's a throwback," Martha said.

"Some option that evolution rejected for humans millions of years ago, but the potential is still there. Locked away in your genes, forgotten about until Lazarus unlocked it by mistake."

"It's like Pandora's box," Rose commented.

He nodded, his eyes remained at his work. "Exactly. Nice shoes, by the way, girls," he added casually.

Suddenly the chamber shook as a blue light came on. "Doctor, what's happening?" Martha asked fearfully.

He shot his head up for a moment and began to work faster. "Sounds like he's switched the machine on."

"That's not good, is it?"

"Well, I was hoping it was gonna take him a little bit longer to work that out," the Doctor said.

Rose squirmed a bit as another chill shot through her. "Doctor, I don't wanna hurry you, but-"

"I know, I know, nearly done," he said quickly.

"What're you doing?"

"Trying to set the capsule to reflect energy rather than receive it."

Her eyes widened. "Will that kill him?"

"When he transforms, he's three times his size," he explained. "Cellular triplication - so he's spreading himself thin."

"We're gonna end up like him!" Martha cried

He pulled the last wire. "Just one more!" With that everything stopped as they heard a crash from the outside. Rose held out her hands to help the Doctor to his feet. Once up, he opened the door and stepped out of the chamber, holding it for the girls.

"I thought we were gonna go through the blender then," Martha said breathing a sigh of relief.

The Doctor shook his head and groaned. "Really shouldn't take that long just to reverse the polarity. I must be a bit out of practice."

Rose chuckled and patted his arm. "That or you must be getting old."

He snorted and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "True." _Also the fact that he was indeed somewhat pleasantly distracted by the close proximity to Rose._ He shook his head. She probably already knew that and was teasing him. Cheeky woman.

They slowly walked over to join Martha as they stood over Lazarus's unconscious, unclothed, human form. "Oh God," Rose said quietly as the Doctor rubbed her shoulder and pressed a kiss to her hair.

"He seems so…human again," Martha said. "It's kind of pitiful."

The Doctor nodded. "Eliot saw that, too. 'This is the way the world ends; not with a bang, but with a whimper'."

"Cheery," Rose mumbled as she looked at the man. As much as he was arrogant and driven by his vanity and riches, he still was a human being. "Though I gotta say that was a pretty _big_ bang."

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**Math, science, history, unraveling the mystery that all started with the big bang - BANG! Sorry, don't mind me. I'll just be over here ;P**


	23. The Lazarus Experiment Part 3

**A/N: Yay, the site came back on! I've been waiting all day to post this, and I never post at this time, so here ya go!**

**Last part of Lazarus. I had a blast with this episode :') Though I will say that parts of this chapter gave me a headache. In case something seems a bit off that's probably the reason, so forgive me.**

**Also, this seems longer than usual cause the last half of this chapter was gonna be an individual one, but I decided to keep it along with this one. It was too short anyway, so why not combine chapters? So now it's even longer :)**

**As always many thanks to those who've reviewed, followed, and faved! I adore all of you ;) *virtual hugs***

**Oh, and for those of you who enjoy my little references I occasionally throw in at the ends of the chapters, you get an extra special hug from me lol **

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_**Chapter 23: The Lazarus Experiment Part 3**_

The trio solemnly exited the building once medical services came in to take away the body. Looking around, they saw all of the guests still appearing to be frantic after what had happened, chatting with the officials and being secured with safety blankets. The Doctor kept Rose close to him with his arm around her shoulders as he raised his opposite hand to undo his bow tie, let it hang loose and tugged at his collar.

Martha's family was near the bottom of the stairs and Tish immediately ran over to hug her.

Her mother came over as well, and the Doctor smiled at her, releasing his arm from Rose. "Ah, Mrs. Jones, we still haven't finished out chat."

His cheerful expression soon turned to one of pure shock when Francine stepped up and slapped him hard across the face, sending him into Rose. "Keep away from my daughter," she said with seriousness as she glared at them. _"Both_ of you."

"Mum, what are you doing?" Martha cried, just as shocked.

"Always the mothers. Every time," the Doctor muttered as he rubbed his cheek.

"They're dangerous!" Francine said. "I've been told things."

"What're you talking about?" Martha asked irritably.

Francine gestured around them. "Look around you! Nothing but death and destruction!"

"Do you have _any_ idea how many others would've died if it _wasn't_ for him?" Rose shot back, gesturing around as well. "D'you see how many people are here safe and sound and _alive_? He saved them all! You should be grateful that you're standing here right now because of him."

"Rose," the Doctor said quietly, placing a hand on her waist as he tried to pull her back.

Before Francine could make a comeback, Martha stepped up. "Mum, just stop. They're my friends, and they saved us. _All_ of us. So just stop it!"

Suddenly they heard a crash up the street. Without another thought both the Doctor and Rose took off in its direction. Martha went to follow, but was stopped when her mother grabbed her arm. "Leave them. They've got each other," she told her.

That was true. They've got each other and they always will, but they were her friends. And she wasn't leaving them when she could help them whenever they needed it. She understood her mother's concern, but right now they needed her. Looking at her mum, she shook her head and ran after them.

When she caught up to them at the ambulance, she realized that Tish had followed her, and was shocked. Her mum was definitely upset now that both of her daughters defied her. Looking inside she gasped when she saw the drained corpses of the EMTs and an empty stretcher.

"Lazarus, back from the dead. Should've known, really," the Doctor said as he pulled out the sonic and scanned the area.

"Of course," Rose said with a sigh.

"Where's he gone?" Martha asked.

He stopped and looked up at where he pointed the sonic. "That way, the church."

"_Cathedral_," Tish corrected him, making the others look at her curiously and she shrugged. "It's Southwark Cathedral. He told me."

"How close were you two gettin'?" Rose asked, before the Doctor nudged her as they headed for the structure.

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The church was dark with small beams of moonlight shining through the stained plexiglass. Rose stood behind the Doctor, who led the way with the sonic held in front of him. Churches always seemed to give off some sort of chill to Rose, but now that it was nighttime and there was a man that could spasm at any moment and drain a body in a few seconds hiding in here, then the eerie sensation was multiplied.

"Why here?" she whispered. "Of all the places to hide out, why here?"

"Where would you go if you were looking for sanctuary?" the Doctor responded, keeping his focus ahead. Cautiously moving through the cathedral they noticed a beam of moonlight shining behind the altar, and a figure in the center of it.

Approaching closer they saw that it was Lazarus seated on the ground with the safety blanket from the ambulance still wrapped around his frame. They heard his breaths come out ragged before turning into light gasps. The Doctor held an arm up to the others to stay where they were as he walked closer to the man.

"I came here before. A lifetime ago," Lazarus said as the Doctor began to slowly pace around him. "I thought I was going to die then. In fact, I was _sure_ of it. I sat there, just a child…the sound of planes and bombs outside."

The Doctor stopped in front of him while Rose realized what he was referring to. "The Blitz," she said from behind.

"You've read about it," Lazarus said, turning his head slightly to her.

"We were there," the Doctor said softly, glancing over at Rose, also noticing the other girls flit their eyes between them in surprise.

Lazarus scoffed as he faced the Doctor again. "You're too young."

"So are you," he said.

The man gave a short laugh before gasping again as his bones cracked. He was going to mutate again soon. "In the morning, the fires had died, and I was still alive," he gasped again as the Doctor circled him. He glanced up at the high ceiling and Rose followed his gaze as the man continued. "I swore I'd never face death like that again - so defenseless. I would arm myself, fight back…defeat it."

"That's what you were trying to do today."

"That's what I _did_ today," Lazarus corrected arrogantly.

"What about the other people who died?" the Doctor retorted in a hard voice.

Lazarus let out a mirthless chuckle. "They were nothing. I changed the course of history."

Stopping in front of the man again, the Doctor couldn't hold in his anger at the arrogance in this man. "Any of them might have done, too. You think history's only made with equations? Facing death is part of being human. You can't change that."

He began to pace around again, walking towards the girls while Lazarus spoke up. "No, Doctor. _Avoiding_ death - _that's_ being human. It's our strongest impulse, to cling to life with every fiber of being. I'm doing what everyone before me has tried to do. I've simply been more…successful." He finished with another strangled groan as his body cracked again.

"Look at yourself!" the Doctor shouted, his voice echoing in the atmosphere. "You're mutating! You've no control over it! You call that a success?"

"I call it progress. I'm more now than I was, more than just an ordinary human."

The Doctor glanced over to the girls, lingering his gaze on Rose for a moment before saying softly. "There's no such thing as an ordinary human."

"He's gonna change again at any minute," Rose whispered to him.

He nodded and whispered back. "I know. If I can get him up into the bell tower somehow, I've an idea that might work."

"Up there?" she pointed up at the ceiling, wondering exactly what he was planning as he nodded. Martha moved over to look up as well, nodding to Rose. The Doctor walked away from the girls to pace around the man again.

"You're so sentimental, Doctor," Lazarus said. "Maybe you _are_ older than you look."

"I'm old enough to know that a longer life isn't always a better one," the Doctor said sadly. As he walked, Rose swore that she saw him glance over at her a few times, and she felt a deep sadness in his tone hit her. That's all that he knew - sadness and loneliness. "In the end, you just get tired," he continued. "Tired of the struggle. Tired of losing everyone that matters to you. Tired of watching everything turn to dust." He stopped and crouched down beside Lazarus. "If you live long enough, Lazarus, the only certainty left is that you end up alone."

"That's a price worth paying."

"Is it?" the Doctor asked, arching an eyebrow.

Instead of answering him, Lazarus groaned again as his bones cracked even louder. "I will feed soon," he warned.

"I'm not gonna let that happen," the Doctor said calmly.

Lazarus chuckled and said derisively, "You've not been able to stop me so far."

"Hey Lazarus!" Rose shouted suddenly, stepping around forward, causing the Doctor to whip around in shock. "You wouldn't want him, he's old and bitter. Why not have some fresher meat?"

"Rose, no!" the Doctor shouted in horror, but she avoided his gaze.

Lazarus snarled as he began to change and lunged himself at her, but luckily the three girls ran for the door and up the stairs.

"What were you thinking?" Tish demanded.

"It got him moving, didn't it?" Rose reasoned.

"The Doctor's not gonna like this, you know," Martha told her.

"Oh well, he bought us time earlier, now we'll do the same for him."

"Rose!" The Doctor shouted from below.

At the sound of her name, Rose stopped to shout back at him. "Doctor! The tower!"

He didn't respond back as he must've made his own way. Catching up to the girls she led them to the spiral staircase going to the top when they heard a scream and crunching bones echo off the walls from below. "Did you hear that?" Tish asked.

"He's changed again," Martha said.

"Come on, we've gotta lead him up," Rose urged, tugging them higher. They finally reached the highest level and she heard the Doctor shout her name again.

She leaned over one of the pillars to call back to him as she seen him coming out of a stairway. "Doctor!"

He spun around and faced her. "Take him to the top! The very top of the bell tower, d'you hear me?"

"Up to the top!" she nodded before backing out from the side and meeting the girls again. What she didn't expect was to see Lazarus hurtling down the passageway. She pushed the sisters ahead of her. "Come on!"

Reaching the end of the hall the girls climbed up another staircase leading up to a circular walkway at the bell tower.

"There's nowhere to go! We're trapped!" Tish cried.

"The Doctor has a plan," Rose assured her. "This is where he said to bring him."

"All right, so we're not trapped - we're _bait_."

"Tish, he knows what he's doing," Martha told her. "We have to trust him."

"Ladies," they heard Lazarus hiss from the end of the hall.

Rose made a move to push the others out the entrance, but they held themselves back. "We're not just gonna leave you here," Martha told her.

"You've got to, I can distract him enough so you two can get out," Rose reasoned.

Martha scoffed. "No way, we're staying with you."

_So, this must be how the Doctor always feels when she insists on staying._ Letting out a sigh in defeat, Rose nodded just as the hideous creature barged in, cornering them. "C'mon, whatcha gonna do?" She challenged.

Seeing him shift, Rose swiftly moved and missed being hit by his scorpion-like tail, however when she ducked she bumped into the rackety railing surrounding the circular walkway and knocking it down. Losing her footing she felt herself stumble as she fell, just grabbing hold of the edge and hanging on for dear life.

"Rose, hold on!" Martha cried from behind Lazarus.

She inwardly rolled her eyes. Well, she sure as hell wasn't going to let go. No, that was rude. Martha was afraid, and so was she. Whatever the Doctor was planning, he better be working hard on it. She can only hold on for so long.

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Moving frantically up the stairways, the Doctor finally came across what he had been looking for. He found a small cubicle with a large pipe organ. Plopping down onto the bench he pulled out the sonic and jammed it into a port. "Hypersonic sound waves. Inspired! Pull these out!" He took the stops and pulled them out.

He overheard the commotion from above and looked up, hoping and praying to every deity that ever existed that Rose was okay after she made herself available for Lazarus to chase. Ridiculous and dangerous as it was, she was buying him time.

Bringing up his hands, he thread his fingers together and cracked them. "I hope it's good acoustic in here," he muttered before pressing random keys, the sounds of the organ vibrating off the walls of the cathedral.

"Need to turn this up to 11." He pulled put the sonic before quickly shoving it back into the port as the volume increased while he played.

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"You've gotta be kidding me," Rose muttered as she heard the sound of an organ being played. Still, she just hoped his plan was working. Her head began to pound at the vibrations as her vision blurred but she tightened her grip on the shaky edge, keeping herself up while Lazarus hovered over her and cornered Martha and Tish.

"Get away from her!" She heard Martha yell. Lazarus swung his tail again, missing the sisters and nearly whacking Rose in the head. "Rose, just keep holding on!"

"I am!" She cried. As the organ's volume increased she gritted her teeth and clamped her eyes shut as the sound was agonizing, screeching in her ears as she also fought the pain in her arms as she hung from the platform with all of her strength.

The Doctor's plan was working as she heard the inhuman wails belting out from Lazarus. Opening her eyes she saw him convulse before falling forward, plummeting to the ground far below and landing with a hard thud. Relief washed over her as the organ stopped.

And she felt her fingers slip as she lost her grip…

Her heart ended up in her throat as she felt herself descend, her head floating in a cloud.

…and then her body jerked.

Luckily Martha and Tish rushed right over and grabbed a hold of her arms. "We've got you, hold on." They began to haul her back up onto the platform. Once she was safe she tried to still her now rapidly beating heart from pounding out of her chest just missing a tremendous tumble to join Lazarus.

"Rose? Martha?" The Doctor called out from below. Just as she finally found her breath, he called out again. "ROSE!?"

"I'm fine! I'm okay!" Rose shouted down to him. "We're all okay!" Though she was up so high she swore she could hear him let out a sigh of relief from below. No doubt he was on the edge the whole time just as she was - metaphorically speaking for him and _literally_ speaking for her.

She turned to the sisters. "Thank you, both of you," she said quietly.

Tish chuckled nervously. "It's your Doctor you should be thanking."

"Told you he'd think of something," Martha said with a smile.

"He cut it a bit fine there, didn't he?"

Rose grinned as she sat up straighter. "Yeah, but it's more fun that way."

Tish looked at her in wonder and asked out of curiosity. "Who are you two?"

"They're the Doctor and Rose Tyler," Martha answered happily.

"That's us," Rose cheered. "The stuff of legend."

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When the girls finally made it back down from the bell tower, they were met with the Doctor pacing around with his hand thrusted in his hair. The moment they stepped down from the stairs, he turned to them as Rose ran over to him. He scooped her up in a tight hug and spun her around. Setting her down to her feet he pulled back to kiss her deeply, holding her tight in his arms.

"I guess that makes us even now," he said once he broke the kiss.

She put on a thoughtful expression. "I guess so."

He smirked and kissed her forehead. "But still, you're brilliant." Releasing Rose, he turned to give Martha a hug as well. "Both of you…are brilliant."

"I didn't know you could play," Martha commented as he pulled back to wrap an arm around Rose's waist.

"Oh, well, you know. When you hang around with Beethoven, you're bound to pick a few things up," he said with a shrug as he grinned.

"Especially about playing loud," Rose chuckled.

The Doctor lifted his arm from around her and leaned closer with a hand behind his ear. "Sorry?"

She smiled and rolled her eyes playfully while Martha laughed. "How 'bout this," Rose leaned over to whisper in his ear. "Let's go home, old man."

He pulled away with mock offense. "Now that was rude." Rose just smiled widely at him and looped an arm around his as they made their way out of the cathedral.

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"Oh, I meant to say that I'm sorry about earlier," Martha said as they walked out. "About Mum and all. She's not always like that…usually."

The Doctor waved it off. "Nah, it's okay. Not my first time dealing with mothers."

Rose snorted. "Yeah, if it's any consolation, my mum slapped him too. She thought he kidnapped me cos when he took me back home, he landed twelve _months_ later instead of twelve _hours_."

Martha's brows shot up. "Oh, my God!"

"Roooose, why do you have to keep bringing that up?" the Doctor whined.

"Now I see why she always mocks your driving skills," Martha laughed.

"Oi! I'm not that bad of a driver!"

Rose snorted again and patted his chest. "Keep saying it all you want, but even the TARDIS disagrees with that."

"Well, She's always defying me," he pointed an accusing finger at her. "Much like _you_. It's no wonder why She's so fond of you."

Martha laughed before returning to her apology. "Still though, I'm sorry about her."

Rose nodded. "She's a mother, and she cares about you. Mine was like that, too. That's how they are."

The trio finally made it back to Martha's flat where the TARDIS was parked. "Something else that just kind of escalated, then," the Doctor said as he unlocked the door before leaning against the frame with Rose by his side.

"I can see a pattern developing," Martha said with a smile. "You should take more care in the future. And the past, and whatever other time period you find yourself in."

"It's been fun, though, hasn't it?" Rose asked with a smile.

She nodded. "Yeah."

Both Rose and the Doctor exchanged a quick glance before looking back at Martha. "So, what d'you say, one more trip?" he asked.

Martha flitted her eyes between them and the TARDIS. "No, sorry."

Rose frowned. "What do you mean? I thought you liked it."

"I do, but I can't go on like this: 'one more trip,'" she said honestly. "It's not fair."

The Doctor creased his brows. "What're you talking about?"

"I don't want to be just a passenger anymore," Martha said, shaking her head. "Someone you two take along for a treat. If that's how you still see me, well…I'd rather stay here."

The Doctor nodded once. "Okay, then, if that's what you want."

Martha frowned for a moment but immediately covered it up. "Right. But we've already said goodbye once today, so it's really best if you just go." She turned and walked over to her bed, but realized they hadn't left. "What is it?"

"What?" The Doctor shrugged. "I said okay."

"Sorry?"

Rose smiled. "We want you to come with us."

Her face lit up. "Oh, thank you!" She ran over and hugged Rose and then the Doctor. "Thank you!"

"Well, you never really were just a passenger, were you?" the Doctor said, holding the door open for the girls.

Once inside Rose turned to Martha. "You're way more than that. You're our friend, and we enjoy having you around."

"Thank you," Martha said again. "Really. This is amazing."

"It's our pleasure," the Doctor said as he ran up to the console. "Right then! Where to?"

"Oh, can I change first? This dress is starting to get uncomfortable, and I might take a kip," Martha said.

"Fair enough. We'll be off afterwards then," he said, pulling the lever. "Welcome aboard…again, Miss Martha Jones."

Martha smiled at them before heading out to her room to change, though she wouldn't mind a quick kip before heading off. All she knew was that she was feeling extremely grateful that she could live a life like this again.

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Once their friend left Rose was about to join her in changing out of her dress but instead stayed in the console room with the Doctor, who was fiddling with buttons. Stepping up to him by the console, she placed a hand on his forearm. "I never thought I'd say it, but I might take a kip myself."

"Old habits, you know…" he commented lightly.

She nodded. "Yeah, yeah. You coming?"

"Hm?" He turned his head to her. "Oh, I'll be with you in a moment."

Translation: _I'm going to stay here by myself and away from anyone to dwell on the events of what happened tonight._

Speaking of old habits…

Studying him, she could easily tell he was brooding over something, which always led to guilt and anger and depression. It wasn't too difficult to read him. He shouldn't keep doing this to himself, just dwelling on the negative, but this was the Doctor - everything he did, everything said had an effect on him. He had told Lazarus that a longer life isn't always a better one, that the only certainty was that you'd always be left alone.

If there was anyone in the entire universe that understood and lived with the straying ache of loneliness it was the Doctor. For so long he's been burdened with that pain. He lost everyone and everything, the only thing left from his home was the TARDIS. But now he had her, and she wasn't going anywhere. As long as she was with him, he would always forgo any of that negativity, and she would always remind him that he wasn't alone anymore.

Moving closer to him she rested her head on his shoulder. "You know, Doctor…about what you said earlier," she began. "About living a longer life…" His hands stilled from fiddling with controls and she rubbed his arm comfortingly. "Sometimes there's a different certainty in the end."

"Is there?" he asked quietly, uncertain.

"Of course there is." She lifted her head and arched a brow at him. "Do you really believe there isn't?"

He glanced down at her, a small shadow cast on his face. "When you've lived as long as I have, it's all you can be sure about. You lose everyone and everything that matters to you while you live on. The world can fall apart and turn into dust and you just walk amongst the ashes. The sky could break and unleash Hell itself and you'd saunter on through it, wondering why you live with a curse. What else would there be?" He blinked a few times before turning away. "And now you could be doomed for the same fate," he whispered sadly.

She lifted her head off of his shoulder. "What?"

"You could spend the rest of your life with me-" _Provided that you'll wanna stay with me once you saw everything that I am, that is,_ he said in his mind before continuing out loud. "But everything would fall to dust around you as well…all because of me."

"Don't you dare blame yourself for me making my choice to stay with you," she said firmly.

"But you didn't choose this life-"

"Stop." Rose held out a hand to cut him off. "We've discussed this so many times, and you're still convinced that you're gonna end up alone. I told you so many times that I'm never leaving you, why can't you believe that? We both opened up to each other back on Noel - promised each other that we'd cherish all the time that we'll have together. And then we were given a gift - the opportunity to spend forever _together."_

He opened his mouth to speak but only closed it. _Oh, this poor, daft alien,_ Rose thought to herself. He was always conflicting himself whenever he overthought everything.

"There's _so_ much more," she continued. "It doesn't have to be a curse for everyone, but rather a blessing for some - like for _us."_ His lips twitched upward. "For a while it may have felt like a curse to you, Doctor, and I can understand why you'd think like that. But it doesn't have to be that way anymore." Rose brought a hand up to the side of his face, turning him so she could see his eyes. The uncertainty was still visible but she could sense a little bit of belief behind all of that sadness. "We can prove that statement wrong," she told him quietly. "We _are_ proving it wrong."

Noticeably swallowing hard, the Doctor averted his gaze and let out a deep breath. "Are we really?"

"We do it every day. Every second that passes us by, we spend it together. You know I'm not going anywhere any time soon. And what we have," she gestured between them, "Can be so much more."

She paused to see what his response would be and he nodded once, though still looking crestfallen. She hated that expression as it hurt her inside at how haunted he was, and he'd always be that way. But what would it take to make him fully realize that she was here to heal as many of his wounds as possible?

His eyes met hers again and he felt her shiver when his hands moved to the rest on the small of her back, his cool fingers contrasting with her hot skin. Though still uncertain, he couldn't deny Rose from always trying to help him. "Always making me better," he commented softly with a small smile.

She smiled back. "It's what I'm here for, and I'm good at it."

"Oh, I know you are. You're brilliant at it. That and getting into trouble."

"And you're not?"

"No, no, I know that I'm brilliant as well," he tilted his chin up.

She playfully swatted his chest. "You have your fair share of getting yourself in dangerous situations too, you know."

"Never said I didn't." He squinted his eyes. "I should be upset with you that you made yourself bait…but it did prove to be helpful - not to mention it makes us even since I threw myself in front of a Dalek - so, I should just be grateful you escaped unharmed."

"I think it's this dress," Rose said, looking down at her outfit before raising her head with a sly grin. "It's throwing you off topic."

The Doctor licked his lips instinctively as his eyes raked over her appearance again, his ears starting to burn while that warm itch came over the back of his head. "Well, I must say that it's _highly_ distracting, much like yourself."

One of her hands moved up his arm, her fingers dancing up until reaching the nape of his neck while her other toyed with his loose bow tie and opened collar. "So I've been told. Though I thought I was only just a _bit,"_ she teased.

"Weeeell…" he drawled. "I've been meaning to ask you - where did that dress come from? It's very…" he trailed off when his voice lowered and he had to clear it.

"I've noticed how much you love it," she said cheekily as he hummed in approval. "It was specifically picked out from the TARDIS." His brows arched. _Of course it was._ Lately this lovely ship of his has been acting exceedingly cheeky, trying to push them further together more than usual. "I was having trouble figuring out what to wear, and then She sent it down to me," she continued.

"She chose well, I'd say. It's very…fitted," he commented, looking over it again.

"Was that all you thought about earlier?" she asked softly with a wide grin.

He swallowed hard as he felt his hearts begin to beat faster. "Oh, yes," he all but whispered.

Tilting her chin up a fraction, Rose moved closer until her lips ghosted over his own while her finger played with his open collar. "What about now?" For the second time today, the Doctor could've sworn that she had purred.

_Rassilon, he's still hanging by that thread, and she was definitely going to pull it loose._

Opening his mouth to speak, nothing came out. Instead he closed what little space was between them to capture her lips, feeling them smile against his own. Gently massaging the nape of his neck, she moved her hand up to his head and tugged at his strands while nipping his lower lip before soothing the bite with her tongue, making him moan. Bringing a hand up to cradle her jaw, he angled her face just as she nipped him again and allowed her access.

Before she knew it, Rose found herself pressed back onto the console and let out a quiet, muffled yelp when the cold metal of the edge touched her lower back, causing the Doctor to snicker. Her hands remained in his hair as she scraped her nails over his scalp from front to back, earning a low growl from his chest. Starting to feel a little uncomfortable with the edge digging into her back, she shifted a bit until she straightened herself up and off of the console completely, fisting his tuxedo jacket.

Rose always knew how to make him better…and she was feeling a little daring at the moment.

Maybe it was because he needed more reassurance of her promise to never leave him, or maybe it was because the TARDIS nudged her mind playfully. She had to have planned this - picking out a dress that She knew would make the Doctor's jaw drop and humming in her mind as if She was urging her to do something more. It was undeniable that the ship approved of their relationship. Maybe She was being like the matchmaker, giving them an extra push. This wonderful ship had been with him for centuries and has seen him at his darkest times and helped him through, but She couldn't do it all.

The conversation with Martha earlier came back to her, and that was all she thought about. What _was_ stopping them from taking their relationship up to the next level? They've already promised to be together forever, and they actually _will_ now. They've already been together for two years prior to admitting their feelings of mutual love to each other. They've already snogged each other senseless on many occasions to the point where it _could_ have gone further than just that.

Though they never discussed about such intimacy out loud they both seemed to silently understand each other and ease into it when they were ready. Up until now they've been on the same page - but Rose wanted to skip to the next one. But did the Doctor want to?

Breaking away when they both breathless the Doctor didn't stop as he peppered her jaw with softer kisses and made his way down her neck, favoring the spot by her pulse point while she ran her nails through his hair. The itching in the back of his mind was growing far more than it ever has, up to the point where he couldn't brush it aside. He let out a small growl before raising his head to claim her lips again.

Was this really the time to do_…this?_ On one hand he was finding an alternative to rid himself of any recent guilt and needed to lose himself in this brilliant woman, but another part of his mind was yelling at him to not rush into this just yet. Right now he couldn't form a proper thought as he couldn't resist this moment.

With her hands grabbing his lapels Rose blindly pushed him back a little until the backs of his knees hit the jump seat, causing him to fall onto it but impressively without breaking the kiss. Shifting themselves on the seat, he managed to sit upright while Rose straddled his lap. She pulled his collar down another inch as she ran her fingers over a few of his soft hairs peeking over before lowering her head to place a light kiss to his chest then ascended up the hollow of his throat.

Trying his hardest and failing he couldn't suppress the soft moan that escaped him once her tongue laved over his Adam's apple until she reached his mouth again, both of her hands placed on either side of his face. His own hands rested firmly on her hips before gliding up the open expansion of her back, burying one in her hair and loosening her low side bun as their tongues battled for dominance. Clamping his eyes shut even tighter he shook inside as the itching feeling turned into a burning sensation at the base of his skull, rising higher and higher the longer this continued.

How this escalated into something so intense and hungrily was beyond him, but it just _happened._ Still in the back of his burning mind he feared he was rushing her into this without her consent, and he would never force anything up on her. Not only that whether or not she was capable of forming a bond still remained to be unknown. Apparently going by this rate-

"Gah!"

Any and all thoughts diminished as he wretched his mouth off of hers and threw his head back, crying out in pain when she reflexively ground her hips into his. The burning sensation increased dramatically as it pierced through his head like a poker, causing his vision to blur.

Rose immediately was brought back out of her state the second he pulled back. "Doctor, what's wrong?" she said breathlessly with concern

Fighting the agonizing pain splitting his head he clenched his teeth as he tried to regain his breathing. "My head…" he gasped out.

"What is it, a headache?"

_A headache? Oh, no. This was far worse than a bloody migraine._

"Something like that," he said with a nod. He tried to blink away the spots before his eyes, but they clouded his vision and refused to fade. This was too much too soon. "I'm sorry, I can't-I can't…" His hands moved back down to her hips and gently pushed her off of his lap.

"Are you okay? Do you need something?" Rose asked, still sounding concerned as well as a little confused.

Rubbing his temples, the Doctor shook his head. "I'll be fine. Just need to head over to the medbay and see what I can use." He raised his head and finally opened his eyes, taking in her slightly disheveled appearance.

"I'm sorry, I-I didn't mean-"

"No, no, no, it's not your fault," he assured quickly. "These occur every once in a while, it's fine."

"You're sure you don't need me to help?"

"Just head off to bed, I'll be with you shortly. Thank you, Rose."

After eyeing him suspiciously Rose nodded and patted his shoulder before heading down the corridor to their room. Once she was of a safe distance away, the Doctor growled at the throbbing ache in his head. Whether this was a good or bad sign, all he knew was he hated living like this.

Was he diving in too deep, or was he just too afraid to dive in at all? Maybe he was both, but he was at a loss right now and didn't know what to do. If he was going to continue his relationship with Rose he'll have to bond with her, which was something frightening yet also amazing. They may have their forever together, but would Rose ever want to commit to something _that_ permanent?

Letting out a distressed sigh, he stood from the jump seat. Obviously there wasn't anything in the medbay to ease the ache piercing through his mind but the Doctor took it upon himself to head off onto the simulated balcony. It was still showing the Powell Estate, which was made specifically for Rose, but he didn't mind. A cool breeze blew against his hair contrasting with the heat pouring out from his head.

Luckily the burning had eased up, but the itch was still present and chose not to fade like it always did. Before he could easily brush it off as nothing and walk around not bothered by it. But after that particularly semi-intimate moment, what was just a simple itch turned into a white hot pain. He needed to bond with her soon, he just had to. But…this wasn't just _anything_ to waltz into - this was permanent. Once it's created there's no turning back at all. Rose would have to live with it forever, and it worried him.

If she was capable of creating and containing a telepathic bond, she'd see every dark corner of his conscience. She would have to live with every burden he had ever kept hidden deep inside of himself, see everything he'd only wished could be easily forgotten, most of the heaviness of each flaw would weigh down on her shoulders. Rose was strong, he always stressed that, but this…this is powerful, definitely exceeding the limits of a human mind. While she was more advanced than an average human, the extent of power her mind could withstand was uncertain.

There was a solution to this, but it was something he was still hesitant to face. So until then, he'll do what he's been doing - wait.

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What was wrong with her? What had she done? Rose changed into her pajamas and lay down on their bed mentally kicking herself for what she did.

Not only did she initiate something much more intimate with the Doctor out of reflex and instinct, but she pushed the bar a little high and made him feel uncomfortable. He wasn't ready for that yet, even though _she_ was. Was she _really?_ To be honest she _thought_ she was, in fact she was _certain_ she was, but that was because she thought they were both on the same page. Evidently they were not.

Everything was going perfectly fine, almost like every other time they shared a passionate kiss, but it was almost as if something in both of them snapped and unleashed an unattainable intensity unlike any other. Never has such a caring and loving gesture ever turned into such a moment of pure hunger. In the span of how ever long it had lasted, she felt herself drown in a deep desire of falling slowly with him in an even greater state of bliss.

_Oh, God._ And now he was apparently suffering with a severe headache. There was no way any of that wasn't her fault. The moment she pushed a little more he pulled away as if he got burned. She couldn't help but feel a little hurt at his sudden recoil, but then again she could understand his discomfort. Sharing a bed was one thing, and light tender caressing of the skin was another, but what she initiated was much more intimate.

He couldn't have _pretended_ to be in pain though, could he? No. Judging by his actions he seemed to be enjoying the act as much as her. He was probably just hesitant, that's all. As much as she wanted it, she wasn't going to force him into it if he wasn't ready. They're building their relationship up as each day goes by, and it's still relatively fresh…in a way.

A gentle nudge from the TARDIS came to her mind, sounding supportive and sympathetic. If She had planned something for them it should've gone through, right? Rose stretched her arm to pat the wall behind their bed.

"Went a little far, did I?" The TARDIS responded with a hum and what seemed to be the equivalent of a head tilt. "Were you planning for that to happen, Old Girl? Were you trying to get us to…?" Another hum and a shrug. She was acting far too innocent. There was more to it than that.

Oddly enough, Rose shrugged as she moved back down into the covers. Closing her eyes, a soft whisper filled her ears. _"Patience, my Wolf. You are ready for my Thief."_

Smiling at the calm voice in her mind, it turned into a soothing melodic hum and sent her off to sleep.

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**Yeahhh, I'll bet you never expected any of that, right? Well…things escalate. And if you actually _were_ expecting something like that, then I'm sorry to break them out of it. Don't hate me, please! It's all good, I assure you.**

**Review!**

**Also, if it's okay with the guest reviewers, I may post responses to your reviews at the end of future chapters. I don't wanna seem like I'm ignoring your comments because I'm thankful for your feedback as much as everyone else who reviews, ****and it's a reasonable way to communicate since you don't have accounts (not that I'm pushing that onto you all!) So hopefully you'll all be fine with that.**

**_Candy thy Cutie_: Thank you for the request! That's a neat fic idea, it's something different and flexible. I'd love to explore that. ****I can't come up with anything for it right now though as I'm busy freaking myself out with this current story, as well as the future series 4 sequel. But I'll keep that in mind and start it when I get the chance. I look forward to hearing what other ideas you have, so spill them whenever :D**


	24. Four Things and a Lizard

**A/N: Okaaaay, I know you were all a little surprised by how the last chapter ended, but it'll lead into something later on.**

**But! Why not have this short little adventure? The name sound familiar? ;)**

**As always, many thanks to those who have reviewed, followed, and faved! I love your feedback! :D**

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_**Chapter 24: Four Things and a Lizard**_

Not to Rose's surprise she found herself waking up alone. In fact she wouldn't blame the Doctor for not even coming to bed with her after that…incident a few hours ago. Knowing him he'll just brush it off as nothing, so she might as well do the same for now.

Once again the TARDIS nudged her mind and told her not to worry about that situation and to be patient. Accepting that she patted the wall for thanks and got up to get changed, settling on a simple blue top and jeans. Making her way out she coincidentally bumped into the Doctor.

"Oh! You're awake," he said.

"Yeah, I just woke up."

He arched his brows. "And not even the slightest bit grumpy," he commented lightly. "You're improving more and more."

Rose smiled and shook her head. "Shut up."

He nodded and raised a hand to scratch the back of his neck. "Ehm, I didn't mean to leave you alone. I was just, er…" he hooked a thumb out behind him.

"No, 's okay," she assured. "You had to take care of your headache…how're you feelin' now?"

"All better. Took a pill for it - not aspirin, of course. That'd make the situation a _lot_ worse."

Rose snorted. "Definitely."

"Wouldn't want that." He shoved his hands deep in his pockets and rocked back and forth on his feet. "So…I was thinking of taking you girls on a special trip."

"Yeah? Where exactly?"

The Doctor leaned forward and booped her nose. "That is a surprise."

Rose rolled her eyes playfully. "You and your surprises."

That contagious manic grin split his face. "Oh yes! C'mon!"

He ran out and back to the console room and Rose immediately followed. It was nice that whatever awkwardness and humiliation happened a few hours ago was brushed off. Though she couldn't help but feel a little warmness spread across her insides at the gesture, at how close they were…

Okay, best not think of that right now.

Entering the console room the Doctor immediately went to work on the controls, plugging in coordinates. "All right, here we go! Always wanted to check this place out," he flipped the switch with an exaggerated wave of his arm and spun around in a circle.

"Think we should wake up Martha first?" she asked with a chuckle.

His smile faded a bit. "Right. Good idea."

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"Rise and shine, Martha Jones!"

Martha jolted out of her slumber at the incredibly loud shout of her name. Looking over to the door of her room she noticed the Doctor standing there with a wide grin on his face. "Who needs an alarm clock when there's you," she commented as she rubbed her eyes.

"Why would I need an alarm clock aboard?" he questioned. "Completely pointless idea. No need to keep time with that when I've got superior Time senses. And not to mention, there's so much out in the universe and humans waste it by sleeping away off in their little fantasies when it's all waiting for them outside."

"Sorry for still being human, then," Martha commented.

"Well, that's not your fault, is it? Blame evolution. Besides…I checked with the TARDIS and She said you were about to wake up in about five minutes anyway."

"She can do that too?"

He nodded. "Of course She can." He clapped his hands together. "All right, now. Up you go! We've landed at an amazing destination, and you wouldn't wanna miss out on all the fun."

"Where?"

"It's a surprise," he sighed and shook his head. "Boy, both you and Rose always wanna spoil everything. Now c'mon," he cheered before dating out the door and calling out. "Off we go!"

Getting up out of bed Martha went over to her wardrobe and got herself ready. She should probably get used to mornings - or what had seemed like mornings - like this. It was still thrilling that she could continue living this exciting life with her friends. She couldn't thank them enough for allowing her to travel with them more.

Once she finished she head out into the corridor and entered the console room, meeting with the dynamic duo. Rose was sitting on the jump seat while the Doctor fiddled with random buttons, looking like their normal chipper selves. Martha wondered what had happened with these two when she left to go to her room last night. Did they really…

No, she shouldn't keep thinking of such inappropriate things. These were her friends and whatever went on with their private life was none of her business. She mentally kicked herself for even bringing the topic up to Rose last night. That was out of line, she knew better than that.

"So where are we then?" Martha asked.

He waggled his eyebrows. "Take a look."

Both girls exchanged a glance before walking down the ramp and opening the door. They were greeted with…London. Rose stuck her head out and looked around. Same old London. "Uh, Doctor…we're still in London."

"What?" He made his way down the ramp and saw exactly that. "Oh. Well…may have been redirected, I guess."

"You're just using that as an excuse for your poor driving skills," Rose teased.

He rolled his eyes as he ran back over to the console. "That has absolutely nothing to do with it. My skills are very good, mind you. Anyway, we must've been thrown off by some kind of energy source or perhaps a-"

A guttural inhuman screech cut him off in the far distance causing the three travelers to dash out of the TARDIS. "What the hell was that?" Rose asked.

Instead of answering her the Doctor whipped out his sonic and scanned the area, turning in a circle until he came to a stop. "C'mon, this way!" He took off past the girls in the direction of the signal. After another moment they came across an alleyway and a reptilian creature climbing up a wall while holding what appeared to be crimson colored eggs in one of its arms. "Oh, that's interesting," the Doctor said as the creature leaped over the rooftops.

"Was that…a lizard?" Martha asked.

"Pretty much. Technically speaking, it was a Klugobbi - very similar to lizards though."

"Were those eggs it was carrying?" Rose cut in.

"Oh yes," the Doctor answered. "But those eggs weren't Klugobbian, they were Jaastian. Those are nearly impossible to be seen at such an early stage, much less be retrieved." He led them out of the alley to scan the area while he explained. "The Jasstians have one of the most royal empires in the Sgan galaxy, keepers of riches and items easily worth one hundred and twenty times more than this entire planet. Because they're so prestigious they migrated to the other side of the galaxy in a secluded area and away from the Klugobbians - better known as the thick fugitives of that galaxy, always scavenging around other planets to knick off precious bits to sell at a black market to make a profit. Apparently they're not that thick if one somehow broke into the empire."

"And of course they've gotta do it on Earth," Rose said.

"What's so special about those eggs?" Martha asked.

"Jaastians reproduce seasonally, which to them is once every three hundred years corresponding to their solstice calendar, and those eggs belonged to the monarchs judging by the color. And if they've found out that their offspring have been stolen, which undoubtedly they already have…" he snorted before running back to the TARDIS, the girls following.

Once they reached it, they noticed the Doctor pull up the floor grating and head underneath to retrieve something. "Please don't tell me that they're gonna invade the planet for harboring a fugitive who kidnapped their children," Rose said with a sigh. Of course she knew where this was going.

"Not only that," he commented from beneath the grating. "Klugobbian black market traders always take their dealers along with them and exchange, but-" he popped up with three bows and quivers filled with arrows. "We can stop any more madness with these."

Martha's brows shot up. "Are you suggesting we _kill_ them? That's pretty violent, don't you think?"

"No, no, no," he lifted one of the arrows up from a quiver and held it up. "They're only sedatives to slow the Klugobbian down and put him to sleep. Not death, just a little knockout. They wear off after thirty minutes. Although…that may have been a teenage Klugobbian, in which case we'll have to dose it with even more." He leaped out from his hole. "Still, they're harmless."

"Wait a minute," Rose cut in. "So we've got to prevent, what, two incidents?"

He scratched his chin before attaching his quiver. "Weeell, we've gotta stop the Klugobbian from selling the eggs to the dealer, prevent the eggs from hatching prematurely, save the planet from being charged by the Jaastians, and…probably another thing yet to be found."

"So, basically a normal day," Rose commented.

"Yep!" He tossed the girls their quivers and bows. "Allons-y!"

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With the sonic in his hand again the Doctor scanned for tracings of the Klugobbian before taking off down the street. "Nothing like a nice lizard hunt, yeah?" Rose commented from beside him.

He smiled at her and chuckled. Before skidding to a stop. "Hold on…" he held the sonic up to his ear. "There's two other signals. The Jaastians are already here."

"But what's the other one?" Martha asked.

His brows furrowed as he listened intently to the incoming signal. "Oh."

"What is it?" Rose asked, even though she had a pretty sure idea of what he was going to say.

He turned to glance over to her. "I think we've found that fourth thing," he breathed out before heading down the street, explaining at a rapid rate. "Thick, thick, thick Klugobbians! They only care for a profit but look no further than that. This one is about to trade with an Ulrissi, and that's not good."

"And how bad is that?" Martha asked breathlessly as they ran.

"Very, very bad," the Doctor answered, turning a corner. "Klugobbians are known as the greatest thieves in the Sgan galaxy, but compared to the Ulrissi they're just children stealing candy."

"Meaning?"

"It's gonna rob the eggs for itself without paying the profit."

"Wait a minute," Rose cut in. "So, the thief is gonna get robbed by another thief, and now they're both gonna get apprehended by those…"

"Jaastians," he supplied. "And yes. So now we've got four things to handle. And going by the signal, we haven't got much longer until the migration."

"Just an average day in our lives," Rose said lightly.

Making it down the end of the street they saw a black slime trail leading down another alley. Following it they came across the Klugobbian and the Ulrissi, which was indeed jet black with scales, also reptilian with a singular extended tooth protruding from its upper lip. Peeking over the wall, the trio hid away as they carefully watched the situation. Indistinct conversing in gurgles and screeches soon led to the Klugobbian exchanging the bundle of eggs over to the Ulrissi, who took them with ease.

Just as the exchange happened the Klugobbian screeched and gestured impatiently waiting for his reward. The Ulrissi simply shook its head and answered with another gurgling sound and made a move to leave, but the other creature brought it back and screeched loudly in frustration, only to be knocked down when the Ulrissi whipped its massive tail at it and crawled up the wall with the eggs.

The Klugobbian got up and lifted up its arm. A watch or a controller of some sorts was wrapped around its wrist. Pressing a button it screeched into the device before taking off.

"It's on the run again," the Doctor said as he turned to head back into the streets.

"I'm guessing it just summoned more lizards, then," Martha commented, adjusting her quiver.

The Doctor nodded and widened his eyes. "Oh, it's just welcomed a swarm. Along with the Jaastians on their way…"

"It's gonna be an all out war," Rose finished. "Lovely."

With the sonic still out the Doctor scanned the streets and got their location. "It's about a mile away, and it's moving fast."

"Good thing there's a cab," Martha said with a smile as she pointed over at an approaching taxi.

Immediately piling into the vehicle the three jiggled impatiently until finally coming to their stop. The Doctor, to no surprise, jumped out before the cab while it was still moving.

"Doctor, you've gotta pay…" Martha attempted but realized she wasn't getting anywhere with her sentence.

Rose rolled her eyes while she paid the driver. "I got it." Luckily she managed to have a few pounds on her at all times - unlike one particular Time Lord who never carried any Earth currencies.

"Are you ever gonna pay for anything on this planet?" she asked him when she and Martha exited the taxi.

"We're in the middle of an interplanetary war zone over the kidnapping of hatching royal offspring, and you're worried about paying a bill," he told her.

"Rude," she said.

He winked at her before returning to the situation at hand. "All right, we've got about twenty minutes til the red hatching, let's get a move on."

The three took off until a woman called out behind them. "Doctor! Rose!"

At the sound of their names, they turned around with confused and curious expressions to see a young blonde woman running out from a corner shop and over to them.

Rose eyed the woman cautiously. "Hello."

The Doctor, on the other hand, still greeted happily. "Hello! Sorry, bit of a rush, there's a sort of thing happening, fairly important we stop it."

The blonde flitted her eyes between them, awestruck. "My God, it's you. It really is _you_." Rose arched a brow at her. "Oh, you don't remember me, do you?"

"Uh, sorry-" Rose began until she was cut off by Martha's calls.

"We don't have time for this," she said, rushing back to them. "The migration's started."

The Doctor looked back at her hesitantly glancing between Martha and the blonde. "Look, sorry, I've got a bit of a complex life," he told her. "Things don't always happen to me in order. Gets confusing, especially at weddings. I'm rubbish at weddings, especially my own."

Rose snorted while the woman smiled warmly and glanced over at her. "Not with this one you weren't, I'd say," she said.

Both the Doctor and Rose stared at her wide eyed by that statement and said in unison. "Sorry?"

"Oh, my God! Of course," the blonde exclaimed. "You're time travelers. It hasn't happened yet! None of it, it's still in your future!"

"What hasn't happened?" the Doctor asked warily. Oh, how he hated running into things out of order.

"Doctor! Rose!" Martha cut in again. "Twenty minutes to red hatching!"

Rose held up a hand and nodded at her before turning back to the woman who smiled in realization to something. "It was me," the blonde said. "Oh, for God's sake, it was me all along. You got it all from _me_!"

"Got what?" Rose asked.

The woman reached into her bag and pulled out a purple folder. "Okay, listen. One day you're going to get stuck in 1969." Rose furrowed her brows while the Doctor pulled a face crossing between indifference to being stuck somewhere and understanding that it was definitely possible. The woman handed him the folder. "Make sure you've got this with you. You're going to need it."

He took it and stared at it thoughtfully before Martha called out for them again. "Yeah, listen…" he said, pointing down to the end of the street. "Gotta dash...things happening. Well, four things. Well, four things and a lizard."

"Busy life," Rose added with a small smile.

"Okay. No worries, on you go," the woman said quickly. "See you around, some day."

They turned to run off again before stopping to turn back to the woman. "What was your name?" Rose asked curiously.

"Sally Sparrow," the woman answered.

The Doctor grinned. "Good to meet you, Sally Sparrow."

Before they were about to take off again a young man came out of the store and noticed them. He stared in shock at them as he came over to stand by Sally. The man tried to talk, but continued to stare in awe. Both the Doctor and Rose exchanged a glance at each other then looked back at the man.

"You okay, mate?" Rose asked with a small chuckle.

The man blinked for the first time since he saw them but still couldn't speak. Sally smiled at the man and took his hand. Turning back to face them she said, "Goodbye, Doctor. Goodbye Rose. Congratulations to you both, and good luck." With that the two turned and headed back to the shop.

Both the Doctor and Rose stared at them as they left before he placed the folder in his jacket. Of course this wasn't the first time that they'd been mistaken for a married couple, but this seemed to be more than that. Did that mean that they…did he…

A sudden tug on his sleeve brought him back as Martha came up to them and pulled their arms to get them moving. "Hatching, war, lizard," she reminded them.

"Right! Off we go!"

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The situation was reaching its peak of chaos once the Klugobbian summoned others of its brethren to pursue the Ulrissi, who also recruited some of their species as well. If that wasn't bad enough the Jaastian guards were close by and ready to arrive and capture the thieves. They needed to end this catastrophe quick before another war broke out on Earth.

_Why's it always on Earth?_ Rose thought to herself. After over two years of this, you'd think she'd already understand that this was the norm, but another thing she's always wondered bugged her more than anything: _why's it always London?_

Coming to an intersection in a street just by a public park the Klugobbians and Ulrissi were swatting each other with their tails and spitting what looked to be thickened slime at each other. Just what Rose wanted - more slime. Keeping a safe distance the Doctor instructed the girls on how to use the bows properly when shooting the sedative arrows. Once they took his directions they began to open fire on the reptiles.

The Doctor had mentioned that because some of these creatures appeared to be in teenage states then more shots would need to be used. The girls struggled a bit at first, not quite aiming the shots just right but eventually managed to get used to it and soon went with the flow.

Luckily the Doctor was pretty skilled with a bow and was able to connect an arrow to many of the creatures with ease. One of the shots was precise as it connected with the Ulrissi cradling the eggs. "Don't hit that one too much," he directed. "Too many shots will cause it to fall over and damage the eggs."

One by one the Klugobbians and Ulrissi began to collapse like dominoes as they succumbed to the sedatives. Soon the Jasstian ship hovered over the town and the Doctor inwardly cursed as the Ulrissi carrying the eggs was making a getaway. "We need to give them the eggs. C'mon!" Grabbing Rose's hand not holding her bow, the trio rushed down to the end of the street and into the park.

"Go around that way," Rose told him, pointing in a direction before switching to the opposite side. "Me and Martha'll take that path there and cut it off."

The Doctor was about to protest in regards to their safety, but simply nodded and placed a quick kiss to her forehead. "Be careful."

"You too," she nodded at Martha. "This way." As they headed off in their own direction the Doctor ran his own way, cutting through the trees and dashing up the small hills. The Ulrissi was in sight but it cut back and made a detour down another path - heading straight for the girls.

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"This is a first," Martha commented as they ran across the grass. "Never hunted lizards before."

"Welcome to our world, Miss Jones," Rose told her. They saw globs of black slime caked on a tree in the distance and knew they were catching up to the creature. Readying themselves with arrows they prepared to shoot the Ulrissi once it came in sight-

And then a large ball of slime flew in the air and nearly hit Rose in the face, connecting with the bark of the tree beside her. "Oh, God. Why does it have to be disgusting slime balls?" she complained.

"It's coming at us, hit it now," Martha said as she shot an arrow.

"Watch the eggs!" Rose told her as she shot one of her own, hitting the creature in the shoulder.

As it came closer the girls came to a stop and began shooting them as fast as they could, but the creature proved to be even stronger than it was, fighting against the drowsiness of the sedatives.

"It's not going down! I've got an idea," Rose said. Taking another arrow from her quiver she kept it in her hand and looked over at Martha. "Wanna give it a shot?"

Without hesitation she did the same. Turning back to face the oncoming creature the girls ran towards it, their arrows ready to strike. Finally reaching the Ulrissi they collided and stabbed the sedatives in its sides, waiting for something to happen…

The creature froze and looked down at the arrows stuck to its body, letting out a sound which could be assumed to be a laugh, then looked back over at them.

"Yeah, maybe that _wasn't_ a good idea after all," Rose said sheepishly.

"It was worth it," Martha told her.

When the girls reached behind for more sedatives they both gasped when they found that they ran out. _Wonderful_.

The Ulrissi screeched as it turned around to whack them with their tails. Just as the girls dodged the attack landing behind bushes, the creature wailed before moaning softly then falling onto its back on the ground. Peeking over the shrubs the girls let out a breath of relief to find the Doctor standing over the creature as it snored, holding up the sonic up in the air.

Martha gave Rose a hug before the latter made her way over to the Doctor. "What a nice hunt," Rose commented as she came out from behind the bush and hugged him. "I never knew you were good at archery," she chuckled when she pulled back.

"Never underestimate my abilities, Rose Tyler. Better than Robin Hood, eh?" He said with a smile.

She raised an eyebrow. "Hmmm…"

He nudged her shoulder before giving Martha a hug of her own. "At least the planet won't explode from an alien lizard war."

"We're not done just yet," the Doctor said, releasing her. He bent down to retrieve the eggs and held them delicately in his arms. "I sent a signal to the Jaastian guards to take the Klugobbians and Ulrissi into custody. Now we have to return these little bundles of joy."

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Making their way back to the streets they found the Jaastian ship parked in the intersection with the guards taking in the reptilian creatures in various cuffs and carts as they remained asleep from the sedatives. Outside the door from the ship was two large beings also with reptilian skin, but appeared to be more humanoid, in the shade of a pale pink with white wristbands and collars along with black robes, showing off their royalty.

"My Lord," he nodded to the male, then to the female. "My Lady." Kneeling down on one knee, he bowed his head out of respect and honor as he held up their offspring. "Your children are safe."

He lifted his head and stood up when the female took her offspring in her arms, rocking them gently. She made a low screeching sound and nodded.

The Doctor simply bowed and brought the girls over to each of his side. "It was our pleasure. Just a friendly reminder: be sure to keep those little ones close to you. They're very special, and heir to the empire one day."

The male reached forward and took one of his hands and spoke something in their reptilian tongue before brushing its other hand over his hair. He then proceeded to Rose and took her hand as well, brushing her hair and did the same for Martha.

The female, still rocking their offspring, spoke again and the Doctor shook his head. "There's no need to go to the trouble, just take care of your family," he smiled. "You've got a lot of bringing up to do - and another word of advice: try to get better security systems."

The monarchs nodded before heading off into their ship and zapped away. The three looked up at the sky as it disappeared from sight. "I've met other royalties," Martha commented.

"Yes you have," the Doctor said. "The Jaastians are one of the most respected and honorable royals, and you've just been blessed by them."

"Wow, that's…amazing."

"Nothing like being knighted by lizards," Rose said lightly. "At least there's _one_ royal family that takes a liking to us."

The Doctor laughed. "That breaks the bad track record."

"You jinxed it now," Martha said.

He tilted his head. "Maybe. Still, was nice for once."

"How could you be able to understand what they were saying?"

Rose groaned. "Oh, Martha, he's gonna boast about that now."

The Doctor just nudged her shoulder as they walked down the street.

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Once they made it back into the TARDIS the Doctor leaned against the console and took out the purple folder given to him by one Sally Sparrow. With his specs on he examined the information it contained. Flipping over the papers he came across a transcript, some photos, some words. He arched an eyebrow at the items. These would prove to be useful for their endeavor later on, so he need not worry about it right now.

"Who was that woman earlier?" Martha asked, bringing him out of his findings.

"Dunno yet," he answered truthfully, shuffling everything back into the folder and sticking it back in his pocket. "Someone from our future apparently."

"You two have a habit of running into things at the wrong times," Martha said with a smile.

"Something to look forward to, yeah?" Rose asked, sitting on the jump seat.

"I suppose so. But if we end up stuck somewhere, then I'm not really looking forward to _that."_

"Yeah, but being stuck with you -" she said with a nose scrunch. "That's not so bad."

He glanced up at her at those familiar words and grinned. That was true. As long as they were together than it would be tolerable - up to a point before he starts sonicing everything around him out of impatience. But the thing that struck them the most was the statement Sally had made about marriage. Did that mean he…it couldn't have been a human marriage, for sure. No offense. But…obviously something happened. Maybe he gave in to himself and allowed it to come out.

Maybe it was the equivalent to marriage he had long since craved for, the one that was frightening him even now and he hadn't even initiated it. Was that it?

That was something exciting albeit still terrifying, but it wasn't happening just yet, so he still had time. Both of them did.

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**Hehehe Review! :')**


	25. 42 Part 1

**A/N: Oh boy. This episode…it gives me chills.**

**This chapter was partly rushed cause…well, honestly I type these up ahead of time and I was behind on my schedule (and I still am *kicks self*), which is why this is also _somewhat_ shorter than my others. **

**Many thanks to everyone who has reviewed, followed, and faved! I love your feedback. And to the guest reviewers, while I can't reply directly to you, just know that your feedback is equally appreciated ;)**

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_**Chapter 25: 42 Part 1**_

After the escapades with the lizards the Doctor treated the ladies to a relaxing movie marathon in the media room. He suggested _'The Muppet Movie',_ but both of them preferred something else instead. They wound up picking up with the _Harry Potter_ franchise from where they left off. Martha was perfectly fine with the choice since she's seen all of the previous ones already, and Rose slipped in the next one: _the Goblet of Fire._

As the three of them sat on the comfy couch - Rose leaning on the Doctor's chest - the girls couldn't help but laugh out loud when they realized how much the Doctor resembled the actor who played Barty Crouch Jr. Of course he immediately denied it and stressed that he had looked _nothing_ like the man, but both Martha and Rose kept insisting that he did. When Rose mentioned that the man was handsome though, the Doctor seemed to change his mind and straightened his tie at the compliment.

After the movie finished the Doctor decided to take the girls to the place he had meant to take them to in the first place. It was a tropical planet called Ember Grove III, the largest field of vibrant flowers that can create a soothing and melodic tune just by a single touch. It also was known to have the greatest lemonade known to the universe, so how can they not have some of that?

Once the girls stepped out of the TARDIS they were immediately greeted with a warm breeze and a sweet combined essence of lemons and and honey. As far as their eyes could see was a vast, open field of various plants and flowers vivid with equally warm colors. Small stands appeared at the far end of the field with items to sell and serve. The Doctor informed them that the main rule in this area was to remove any footwear as not to disturb the foilage.

Doing so both Martha and Rose ran out barefoot onto the field letting the warm but soothing breeze blow through their hair. The Doctor stood at the door of the TARDIS and watched as they ran carefree with the wind, spreading their arms out wide as if they were trying to fly. He couldn't help but appreciate how the sunlight reflected off of the equal brightness of Rose's waves. She truly did burn like the Sun and showed off her golden glow, shining it wherever she went.

Toeing off his trainers he caught up with them and came up behind both girls and tackled them to the ground in a section of red flowers that smelled like strawberries. After laughing like a bunch of loons, he urged the girls to pick off a couple of them to hear what melody comes out from them.

Martha picked one up and lit up when a calming tune resembling that of a flute's emitted from its core. When Rose picked one of her own a soft humming sound almost matching that of the TARDIS came out. They both chuckled at the result. It was appropriate since those two were connected, giving off a beautiful sound to calm those around them.

After a few more moments of laying back in the bed of flowers and basking in the sunlight, the three walked over to one of the stands and purchased some of the lemonade. The Doctor wasn't lying when he said this was the best lemonade. It wasn't too sour and not too sweet - it was just right, and made the kinds back on Earth a poor comparison.

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"It was nice to be somewhere warm for once," Rose commented on the way back to the TARDIS.

"We're not always in cold places," the Doctor told her.

"No, but we're not always in warm ones either."

He scoffed as he made his way around the console while Martha sat down on the jump seat. "Those flowers were beautiful. Reminded me of when I used to run across the fields when I was little," she said in wonder before frowning.

Rose noticed her change in mood and sat down beside her. "What's wrong?"

She shrugged. "I just miss Mum and Tish, that's all. I wish I can talk with them once in a while."

"We can fix that," Rose said lightly. "You have your phone?" Martha nodded and reached into her pocket and handed it out to her. "Doctor, wanna help out Martha with some jiggery pokery?"

"Hm?" He hummed before exclaiming. "Oh, of course!" He turned around and took the phone from her and flipped it open. Grabbing the sonic he began to work on advancing her mobile. "How could I have forgotten?"

"Like you always say: too many things running around in that big head of yours," Rose answered.

He glanced up at her as he continued working on her phone before shutting it and cheering, "There we go! Universal Roaming," he tossed the phone back to Martha and pocketed the sonic. "Never have to worry about a signal again."

Flipping her phone open, she saw the screen say _**'Universal Roaming Activated.'**_ He face lit up. "No way. But it's…too _mad!_ You're telling me I can call anyone, anywhere in Space and Time on my mobile?"

He smiled. "Long as you know the area code. Frequent Flyers' privilege."

"Welcome to the club," Rose commented as she took out her own mobile and held it out to her before putting it back in her pocket. "Go on, try it out."

Just as she was about to test out her new advanced mobile, the TARDIS jerked violently and nearly grounded the three of them to the grating. The Doctor moved the monitor over to peer at it. "Distress signal! Locking on!" he shouted. "Hold on, girls, might be a bit of-"

Another jolt cut him off as the three were sent flying to the ground. "Turbulence," Rose finished.

"Yeah. Ow," the Doctor said before pulling himself off of the floor, holding a hand out for both girls. "You two alright?"

"For the most part," Martha told him as she stood.

"Sorry about that. Ah, well, come on," he spun around and dashed to the door. "Let's take a look!" The girls were right behind him as he stepped outside and was greeted with a surge of suffocating heat and steam. "Whoa! Now that is hot!"

"It's like a sauna in here!" Martha cried as she shed off her jacket and tossed it into the TARDIS.

"I like the heat and everything, but this is almost unbearable," Rose commented as she discarded her long sleeved shirt and threw it in the TARDIS with Martha's jacket, leaving her in a thin sleeveless top.

"Little bit of heat won't hurt," the Doctor commented as he examined the equipment off to the side on the wall. "You're usually always up for it."

"Not to the point where I can't breathe," she said, adjusting her top.

He looked around again. "Venting systems," he said. "Working at full pelt, trying to cool down wherever it is we are."

"Now you know that's bad if the vents aren't working," Rose said, wiping her forehead. Oddly enough - well, probably not that much - she felt a chill run through her body, and that's never a good sign.

A door with a wheel was on the side. "Well, if you can't stand the heat…" Spinning the wheel the Doctor opened the door and stepped through.

"Oh God, that's so much better," Rose commented as the air, while still hot, wasn't as smothering and felt a little cooler against her already sweaty skin.

Not even a second upon entering the new area a group of people - two men and a woman - came running towards them.

"Oi! You three!" one of the men yelled.

"Get out of there!" the woman shouted.

"Seal that door, now!" Both men rushed over and shut the door behind them tight.

"Who are you? What are you doing on my ship?" the woman demanded.

"Are you police?" the younger man asked.

The Doctor furrowed his brows in confusion. "Why would we be police?"

"We got your distress signal," Rose explained.

"If this is a ship, why can't I hear any engines?" the Doctor asked, glancing around the area.

"It went dead four minutes ago," the woman told them.

The older man rolled his eyes. "So maybe we should stop chatting and get to engineering…Captain," he added with a little sneer.

_**"Secure closure active,"**_ a computerized voice rang out followed by a loud pang.

"What?" the woman asked.

"The ship's gone mad," the older man said.

Another woman rushed into the room and slammed the door shut behind her. "Who activated secure closure? I nearly got locked in Area 27!" She cried before looking confused when she noticed the travelers. "Who are you?"

Martha answered for them since the others looked concerned. "He's the Doctor, she's Rose and I'm Martha," she introduced before her eye caught something distractedly. "Hello."

Rose noticed Martha suddenly walk slowly away to a small window. Clearly there was something interesting outside and she was curious to know what exactly was out there too, but they still didn't know about this crew and their situation. "And you are?" she asked.

"Kath McDonnell," the woman replied before gesturing to the other members in order from the older man, the younger man, and the other woman. "And that's Scannell, Riley, and Erina."

_**"Impact projection: 42 minutes."**_

"We'll get out of this, I promise," McDonnell said.

Rose nodded before following Martha towards the window. A golden light shone through, pouring into the area the closer she came to it. The moment she stood beside Martha her breath hitched as another chill shot down her spine when she gazed at the view in front of them. "Doctor," she called.

The Doctor hadn't registered her call for him and asked the captain. "Forty-two minutes til what?"

"Doctor!" Martha cried. "Look!"

Running over to the girls he peered over Rose's head and immediately sensed her discomfort, and he could easily see why. Placing a hand on her shoulder he froze up inside at the approaching object, slowly coming closer and closer and making him feel more uncomfortable.

"Forty-two minutes until we crash into the sun," McDonnell said.

Oh, this isn't good. In a flash the Doctor turned and ran back over to the captain. "How many crew members on board?" he asked quickly.

"Seven, including us."

"We transport cargo across the galaxy," Scannell spoke. "Everything's automated. We just keep the ship…"

"Call the others, I'll get you out!" The Doctor rushed over to the door they came through.

"What's he doing?" Riley yelled.

"No! Don't!" McDonnell yelled as the other crew members ran over to stop him before he opened the door.

But he already turned the wheel and pulled it open only to be taken aback by an even larger wave of heat, making him cry out at the sudden steam. Rose and Martha immediately went over to him just as Erina came over to the door wearing protective gear and sealed it shut. "But my ship's in there!" the Doctor shouted as he shook himself off.

"In the _vent chamber_?" Riley asked.

"It's our lifeboat."

"It's lava," Scannell told him.

Taking off her gear Erina studied the dials on the wall beside the door. "The temperature's going mad in there. Up 3,000 degrees in ten seconds, and still rising."

"Channeling the air," Riley said. "The closer we get to the sun, the hotter that room's gonna get."

"We're stuck here," Martha said irritably.

Rose shook her head. "Not the first time we were stuck without the TARDIS," she commented quietly. At least they weren't outside of a black hole that could have sucked them in at any moment like last time…though crashing into a blazing sun isn't really that much better and any less dangerous. Still, it could be worse, right?

The Doctor tilted his head. "So, we fix the engines, we steer the ship away from the sun - simple!" He turned to McDonnell. "Engineering's down here, is it?"

She nodded. "Yeah." With that he took off down the corridor with the others following.

_**"Impact in 40:26."**_

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Making his way down to the engineering room he skidded to a stop and glanced around the area. "Blimey, do you always leave things in such a mess?"

"Oh, my God!" McDonnell cried when she saw the state of the room.

Walking over to the engine they examined it as smoke and steam poured out with bits of wire and springs were destroyed.

"What the hell happened?" Scannell asked.

"Oh, it's wrecked," Riley said.

The Doctor took out his specs to study it more. "Pretty efficiently too. Someone knew what they were doing."

"Where's Korwin?" McDonnell asked urgently. "Has anyone heard from him or Ashton?"

"No," Scannell said with a shake of his head.

McDonnell ran over to the intercom on the wall. "Korwin, Ashton? Where are you? Where the hell is he? He's supposed to be down here."

Rose twitched inside. An engine is suddenly totalled and torn apart and two of the crew members are missing. Coincidence? She thought not. If she wasn't already twitchy about landing on this ship, then that fact would have pushed it.

Moving closer to the Doctor she tapped him in the side as he studied a monitor. "Two crew members are suddenly missing after an engine's destroyed? If that's not bad enough," she whispered. "We shouldn't trust these people."

His jaw stiffened. "I know, just keep a close eye on them. But that's not the only problem." He swallowed and rubbed his eyes underneath the rim of his specs. "We're stranded…_again_. I've trapped you and Martha here."

She patted his arm. "We'll work this out, we always do. This isn't like the last time. At least the TARDIS is still onboard and not drifting away into space. She'll be fine, She can survive anything." He looked over at her with a regretful look and she squeezed his arm for reassurance. "Could be worse, yeah?"

"I suppose so, but never say that," he said with a faint smirk. Turning his head to observe the crew for a second before scanning what the monitor showed and stood. "Oh, we're in the Torajji system! Lovely! You're a long way from home, Martha. Half a universe away."

"Yeah, feels it," Martha snapped.

Rose moved over to their friend and put a comforting hand on her arm. "We'll fix this Martha," she said softly. "I promise."

She shrugged as the Doctor walked over to the captain. "And you're still using energy scoops for fusion? Hasn't that been outlawed yet?"

McDonnell hesitated for a moment then dismissed his question and moved past him. "We're due to upgrade next docking." The Doctor and Rose exchanged a glance as the woman went over to the older man. "Scannell, engine report."

"No response," he told her.

"What?"

"They're burnt out, the controls are wrecked. I can't get them back online."

"Right, so, repairing the engines isn't going to happen anytime soon," the Doctor said. "What else have we got?"

"What about a back-up engine?" Rose suggested.

The Doctor turned and smiled at her. "Exactly! Auxiliary engines! Every craft's got auxiliaries," he exclaimed.

McDonnell shook her head. "We don't have access from here. The auxiliary controls are in the front of the ship."

"Yeah, with twenty-nine password sealed doors between us and them," Scannell added. "You'll never get there in time."

Rose rolled her eyes while Martha asked. "Can't you override the doors?"

"No. Sealed closure means what it says. They're all deadlock sealed."

The Doctor ran a hand through his hair. "So a sonic screwdriver's no use," he muttered.

"Nothing's any use. We've got no engines, no time, and no chance."

Rose snorted. "Oh, my God, listen to yourself! How can you give up so quickly?"

The Doctor nodded and stood beside her and stared at the man with disappointment. "Defeated before you've even started! Honestly, where's your Dunkirk spirit?" He turned to McDonnell again. "Who's got the door passwords?"

Riley answered for her. "They're randomly generated. Reckon I know most of 'em. Sorry. Riley Vashtee," he clarified.

"Then what're you waiting for Riley Vashtee?" The Doctor asked as he put himself in command. "Get on it."

"Well, it's a two person job - one to answer the questions, and the other to carry this," he retrieved a backpack and put it on and lifted up a magnetic clamp, looking over to McDonnell. "The oldest and cheapest security system around, eh, captain?"

She smiled. "Reliable and simple, just like you, eh, Riley?"

"Try and be helpful, get abuse," he chuckled. "Nice!"

Martha stepped forward and took the clamp from his hands. "I'll help you. Make myself useful."

"It's remotely controlled by computer panel," Riley told her. "That's why it needs two."

She nodded as they walked off together. "Oi!" Both the Doctor and Rose called after her.

Turning back to face them, the Doctor told her, "Be careful."

"You too," she said, flitting her eyes between them and pointing a finger. "Both of you."

Just as the two walked away a voice came over the intercom. _**"McDonnell, it's Ashton."**_

At the sound of her name, the captain ran over to the intercom and answered quickly, "Where are you? Is Korwin with you?"

_**"Get up to the med-center now!"**_ Ashton hollered.

Without hesitation McDonnell ran to said room. Both the Doctor and Rose shared a quick glance before grabbing a hold of each other's hands and catching up to the woman.

Just behind them they heard the computerized voice announce. _**"Impact in 34:31."**_

Running down the corridor Rose shivered inside again, contrasting with the walls of suffocating heat rising on the ship. Something odd and serious was definitely wrong with this whole situation and it made her skin crawl. When she caught a glimpse of the approaching sun she felt an odd feeling in her mind, like a little tug. Whatever it was, she didn't like it one bit.

Finally making it to the room they saw a bed in a tube shaped chamber occupied by a man thrashing around in agony as two others - another man and a woman - stood over him, trying their hardest to keep him contained.

"Argh! Stop it!" the man groaned fighting against the others around him.

"Korwin, it's Abi!" the woman told him "Open your eyes, I need to take a look at you!"

McDonnell rushed over to them and cried. "Korwin! What's happened? Is he okay?"

"Oh, Kath! Help me!" Korwin pleaded before shouting, "IT'S BURNING ME!"

Rose inwardly gasped as a haunting whisper ghosted in her ears, speaking words that seemed all too familiar: _Burn with me._

The Doctor felt her tense up and squeezed her hand. "Stay back," he told her before stepping up to the man with the sonic in his hand. "How long's he been like this?"

"Ashton just brought him in," Abi said eyeing the Doctor as he began to scan Korwin's body then flinched when the man cried out in pain again.

"What are you doing?" McDonnell demanded stepping up to them.

Rose leaned forward and grabbed her arm, stopping her. "Don't get too close," she warned.

The woman defied her as she shook her arm away from her grasp. "Don't be so stupid, that's my husband!" She rushed over to the head of the bed, watching over him.

"And he's just sabotaged our ship," Ashton snapped.

"What?"

"He went mad. He set the ship to secure closure, then he set the heat pulse to melt the controls."

"No way!" McDonnell said in denial. "He wouldn't do that!"

"I saw it happen, Captain," Ashton insisted seriously.

Putting away the sonic, the Doctor gently addressed the man in distress. "Korwin? Korwin, open your eyes for me a second."

The man convulsed. "I can't!"

"Yeah, of course you can," the Doctor said calmly. "Go on."

"Don't make me look at you! Please!"

"Alright, alright, alright. Just relax." Carefully moving away from the bed, the Doctor picked up a small syringe from the medical tray. He held it up to Abi and asked. "Sedative?" When the woman nodded in confirmation, he leaned over and inserted it into Korwin's neck. The man cried out in pain and thrashed again until he stilled then silenced.

Pulling the syringe out of the man, the Doctor placed it back on the tray. Rose stepped over cautiously to stand at the edge of the bed next to him. "Doctor, what's wrong with him?"

Taking a deep breath he wiped the sweat from his forehead and crossed his arms. "Some sort of infection. Rising body temperature, unusual energy readings…" he glanced over briefly to the chamber itself. "Stasis chamber. I do love a good stasis chamber." He turned to Abi. "Keep him sedated in there. Regulate the body temperature. And, just for fun, run a bio-scan and tissue profile on a metabolic detail."

"Just doing them now," Abi told him as she worked.

Rose smiled at the woman. "Nice. You're good."

"Oh yes, you are. I'll give you that," the Doctor agreed. "Anyone else presenting these symptoms?"

Abi shook her head. "Not so far."

"Well, that's something, yeah?" Rose said gently, looking over at the Doctor who simply nodded, his jaw stiff. She knew that look. The last thing they needed was an outbreak of some kind of infection to add to the already chaotic epidemic of this ship's situation.

"Will someone tell me what is the matter with him?" McDonnell asked frantically.

"Some sort of infection," Rose told her gently.

"We'll know more after the test results," the Doctor added before gesturing to the end of the corridor. "Now, allons-y. Back downstairs." He turned to Ashton. "Eh! See about those engines. Go," he told them.

Ashton followed the Doctor's orders and turned to leave. McDonnell, however, didn't appear to want to leave her husband in his time of distress. Rose walked over to her and placed a hand on her arm. "Just go," she said calmly. "There's nothing you can do right now. Just relax."

The captain was hesitant to leave but nodded. Taking one last glance at her husband she turned away and made her leave quietly.

When Rose turned around she found the Doctor standing right behind her with a soft smile on his face. "What?"

"That's another reason why I need you around," he said. "You're the _kind_ one."

"Obviously since you're the _rude_ one," she teased lightly.

He nodded and shrugged. "That I am." He threw an arm around her shoulders and began to walk out of the room until he turned back to Abi. "Call us if there's news. Any questions?"

The woman chuckled. "Yeah. Who are you two?"

"I'm the Doctor," he answered with a grin.

Rose patted his chest. "And I'm Rose Tyler."

"Abi Lerner," the woman clarified before they headed down the corridor.

As they walked, they heard the computerized voice once again.

_**"Heat shield failing. At twenty-five percent. Impact in 32:50."**_

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Making it back to the engineering room, the Doctor began to sift through the wreckage that was left of the torn up engine. Rose was also helping as she searched for any unbroken parts that could be used in repairs. Whatever was spreading through this ship was making its rounds, and he scolded himself for trapping the girls in such a place.

_Déj__à Vu_, he thought.

This was Krop Tor all over again, and he swore he would never allow them to get stuck anywhere after that. But of course, he did anyway. And apparently some time in the future they would get stuck in 1969 - like he was looking forward to _that._ Although he _greatly_ disliked the idea and incident of being stranded in one place and in one time, he'd rather be stuck on Earth than on a ship preparing to crash into a burning sun.

That's saying something.

But he had to keep his focus on the situation at hand right now. Any of the people onboard could be susceptible to this infection…whatever it is - and he needed to prevent it from spreading any further. But he needed more information.

As the computerized voice kept announcing the amount of time until impact, he ran over to the intercom and called out for the young woman in the med-center. "Abi, how's Korwin doing? Any results from the bio-scan?"

_**"He's under heavy sedation,"**_ she answered. _**"I'm just trying to make sense of this data. Give me a couple of minutes and I'll let you know."**_

"Some good news," Rose commented from where she continued searching.

Nodding in satisfaction he switched the dial. "Martha? Riley? How're you doing?"

_**"Area 29, at the door to 28,"**_ Martha answered.

He licked his lips impatiently. That wasn't good enough at the moment. "Yeah, you've gotta move faster," he told her urgently.

_**"We're doing our best!"**_

Inwardly sighing he left the intercom on so they could still communicate with each other while he moved back over to the engine and resumed his work.

"Calm down, Doctor," Rose told him gently. "They're doing all that they could."

He nodded. "I know, but-"

Riley cut him off over the intercom. "_**Find the next number in the sequence: 313, 331, 367…"**_ he paused for a second. _**"What?"**_

_**"You said the crew knew all the answers!"** _Martha said.

_**"The crew's changed since we set the questions,"** _he said sheepishly.

Martha sighed. _**"You're joking."**_

The Doctor ran over to the intercom to give them the answer. "379!"

_**"What?"** _Martha asked.

"It's a sequence of happy primes," he explained. "379."

_**"Happy what?"**_

"Just enter it!"

_**"Are you sure?"**_ Riley interjected. _**"We only get one chance."**_

The Doctor growled low with impatience before taking a deep breath to further explain in a rapid lecture mode. "Any number which reduces to one when you take the sum of the square of its digits and you continue iterating until it yields one is a happy number. Any number that doesn't, isn't. A happy prime is a number which is both happy and prime, now type it in!" He shouted with annoyance.

"Wonderful lesson once again, teacher," Rose commented from the side.

He turned to her and shook his head. "I dunno, talk about dumbing down!" He exasperated. "Don't they teach recreational mathematics anymore?"

She looked up at him and smiled. "Not in that way, I'd guess."

He snorted at her just as Martha exclaimed through the com. _**"We're through!"**_

"Keep moving, fast as you can," he said quickly before adding seriously. "And, Martha…be careful. There may be something else on board this ship."

_**"Any time you want to unnerve me, feel free,"** _she commented.

He nodded and smiled lightly. "Will do, thanks."


	26. 42 Part 2

**A/N: Heads up, this is another Martha-lite episode. So, as I said once before, if you're a huge Martha fan, then I'm sorry that you won't see her. Still, hope you enjoy! ;)**

**Oh, and just know that I couldn't resist putting in those certain music references. I had others, but I settled on a couple.**

**Much love to all of the lovely people who've reviewed, followed, and faved! You guys make my day even brighter :D**

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

_**Chapter 26: 42 Part 2**_

_**"Impact in 30:50."**_

The Doctor growled in irritation at the computerized voice as he continued to work, looking like he was resisting the urge to bang his head against the wall. Just watching him move around with his suit on was making Rose feel even more uncomfortable than she already was. He may have a cooler body temperature but the heat was rising more and more on this ship to the point where he'd definitely be affected.

From where she sat on the ground fumbling through the many tangled up wires and torn up pieces of machinery, she could see his forehead shining with with sweat. Surprisingly, though - or maybe not that much - he was moving around as he normally did with no uneasiness.

She was expecting him to boast about his 'superior Time Lord physiology,' but given the severity of this situation, he'd probably do it all later when this was all fixed.

Wiping her own forehead with her arm proved to be ineffective as her entire body was soaked, much like her top. "I can't stand this heat," she said as she stood up. Luckily she had another top on underneath.

Out of the corner of his eye the Doctor caught sight of Rose planning to discard her sleeveless top. Ultimately stopping what he was doing he swallowed once she reached for the hem of her shirt and raised it over her head before tossing it to the side, leaving her standing only in a thin white tank top. The fabric of the shirt clung to her body as a result of the rising heat, her skin glistening in the orange light of the room.

His eyes widened when he saw her grab the hem of the tank top next. _She couldn't possibly have any more shirts on under-_

He finally breathed when all she did was pull it away from her stomach to fan herself for a moment, giving him a small glimpse of the smooth and shiny skin of her belly before letting it fall back down. A bead of sweat rolled down from his forehead then to his brow before lingering on his eyelid. Not even bothering to wipe it away he just kept his gaze on Rose.

_How can someone look so beautiful in this predicament? _Well, if anyone could accomplish it, it'd be her.

"Enjoying the show, are ya?"

"Huh?" His gaze shot up at the sound of Rose's voice causing him to finally blink as the sweatdrop burned his eye. He rubbed it with his finger under the rim of his specs. "Oh, I, um, no…I wasn't…er…" _Rassilon, help him._

Rose just smiled at his stammering and inwardly blushed. While she still felt a little embarrassed by the intimate gesture she initiated the other night, she couldn't help but still feel appreciated by him in ways like this. She had to admit that he was glowing in this heat as well, and it was a _very_ nice sight.

"So, how's everything over there? What do we need?" she asked, bringing her mind back to the present.

In a flash he snapped back into the current situation along with her. "We need a back-up in case they don't reach the auxiliary engines in time," he told her before thrusting a hand in his hair. "Come on, think. Resources - what have we got?"

_**"Doctor?"**_ Martha's voice suddenly came over the intercom.

He sighed in frustration. "What is it now?"

_**"Who had the most number ones, Elvis or the Beatles? That's pre-download."**_

"Elvis," he answered confidently at the exact same time Rose answered, "the Beatles," also with confidence.

They both stared at each other with arched brows. "Rose, I'm certain that it's the King," he assured.

"Really? I don't know about that," she replied.

_**"Guys, you'll have to make up your minds if you want us to hurry up,"**_ Martha said quickly.

"Doctor, me and Mum used to watch those trivia game shows," Rose explained. "These kind of questions are common. I think it's the Beatles."

"While I don't doubt your confidence in pop culture topics, I'm certain it's Elvis," he insisted before giving it another thought. "No! The Beatles! No! Wait!" His face twisted and his mind raced as he went over every song recorded on the artists' discography. Making a frustrated noise he slapped the back of his head. "Argh! Was that a remix? Um…I don't know! I am a bit busy!" He called out.

_**"Fine, I'll ask someone else!"**_ Martha called back, sounding a little irritated as well.

"Martha, use your phone!" Rose suggested before they clicked off. "If I'm right, you owe me five quid," she teased.

The Doctor whipped around. "What? Rose, not now! Now, where was I? '_Here Comes the Sun'_." He slapped his head again. "No, resources."

"Need some _'Help!'_" She said with a smile.

"Yes, I w-" he paused when he realized what she was doing. "Rose-"

"Okay, okay, I'll just _'Let it Be.'_"

He looked at her pointedly before smirking. "Very clever of you. Now back to the resources - what've we got?"

"The power's still working," she pointed out. "And the generator's going."

"Right! If we can harness that…Ah!" He dashed over and placed a kiss to her forehead. "Brilliant!"

McDonnell came over to them after hearing their cheers and caught on to what they were thinking. "Use the generator to jump-start the ship," she said in realization.

"Exactly! At the very least it should buy us some time."

McDonnell nodded with an impressed look. "That…_is_ brilliant."

"I know, right?" Rose cheered.

"See! Tiny glimmer of hope!" The Doctor cried happily. That's all they needed right now - hope.

"If it works," a doubtful Scannell cut in.

Rose rolled her eyes. This man gave up too fast. Even at the beginning he was hopeless, and he was downgrading the positive mood. "Are you immune to optimism or something?"

The man just arched a brow and shrugged. "What? There's still a chance that this can't possibly work."

"But there's a chance that it _will_," she stressed.

McDonnell nodded and assured him. "Oh, believe me, you're gonna _make_ it work."

The Doctor flitted his gaze between both women with such respect and lingered more on Rose. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and smiled proudly. Dejectedly Scannell walked away with his head hung low and he chuckled. "That told him!"

"Good!" Rose said with a laugh.

"Even when people don't believe in it, there's always hope."

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_**"Impact in 28:50."**_

Rose groaned not only because of the continuous annoying computerized alerts, but also at how much the heat kept rising the closer the ship drifted towards the sun. She couldn't wait until this whole dilemma was fixed and over with so she could dash into the TARDIS and have a nice cold shower.

They each resumed their hard work at harnessing the power of the generator when the intercom clicked on. _**"Doctor, these readings are starting to scare me,"**_ Abi reported.

The Doctor immediately stopped what he was doing ran over to the com. "What do you mean?"

_**"Well, Korwin's body's changing. His whole biological make-up, it…it's impossible."**_ She paused. The Doctor furrowed his brows at the sudden silence on the other end. Just as he was about to question her again, her voice called out full of panic as it carried through the entire ship. _**"This is med-center. Urgent assistance requested. Urgent assistance!"**_

The Doctor turned away with concern and took off before addressing the others. "Stay here! Keep working!"

Rose looked at the others apologetically. They didn't know what this infection really was that was spreading, but she didn't want to leave the Doctor alone with the man infected. "We'll be right back."

As she followed him she could hear faint footsteps in the distance behind her. No doubt it was McDonnell and Scannell catching up, but they were soon drowned out when that cold whisper echoed in her ears again. _Burn with me. Burn with me. Burn with me. _She groaned as the whisper grew even louder. _Burn with me!_

Coming to a stop she raised her hands to her ears and cried. "Get out of my head!"

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The Doctor dashed through the corridors to get to the med-center as quickly as possible as the voices of the crew members echoed across the ship from the intercom.

_**"Urgent assistance!" **_Abi called again.

_**"Abi, they're on their way,"**_ Erina replied.

_**"What's happening to you?"**_ Abi asked fearfully on her end. This wasn't good. Some more hope was necessary at the moment.

Then a familiar cry got the Doctor's attention as he skidded to a stop and whipped his head around to find its source. "Rose?" He noticed that she was following him at a distance but she seemed to be disturbed by something and remained still in her spot. He ran over to her and grabbed her arms. "I told you to stay back there! What's wrong?" When she shook her head he gently lowered her arms from her ears. "What is it?"

"There's this…whisper…"

Before he could question her any further a deep gravelly voice echoed through the ship. _**"Burn with me."**_

Both the Doctor and Rose shuddered at those words. He heard those exact same words in his last nightmare - words spoken by Rose. Was that what she heard in her mind? Oh, no.

Grabbing her hand they began to run to the room again only to stop when he heard closer footsteps behind them along with a voice. "Captain?" It was Scannel who was right behind McDonnell.

"I told you to stay in Engineering, too!" The Doctor told him.

"I only take orders form one person 'round here," Scannell told him as he walked past them.

"Oh, is he always this cheery?"

Rose snorted. "Just what we need, another chief dramatist."

He smirked at her reply before she gasped when the voice came over the ship again. _**"Burn with me."**_

_**"K-Korwin, you're sick…"**_ Abi said, her fear clearly visible through the comm.

_**"Burn. With. Me!"**_ The voice repeated, sounding impossibly more sinister. A second later painful and terrifying screams screeched through the connection, echoing throughout the entire ship and ringing in everyone's ears. For what seemed like forever they finally silenced.

_**"Doctor?"**_ Martha's voice called after a moment. _**"What were those screams?"**_

"Concentrate on those doors!" the Doctor yelled as he pulled Rose along with him. "You've gotta keep moving forward!"

_**"Impact in 27:06."**_

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_Burn with me._

Rose shook her head at the words that continued to echo in her mind. What had started out as a chilling whisper turned into a pounding clamor causing her head to ache. The Doctor sensed her discomfort and gave her hand an occasional squeeze. He shivered at the mention of those words as well, so this situation was worsening with every second that ticked by as they were closer coming into contact with the sun.

Finally they made it to the med-center and found that the stasis chamber was unoccupied and Abi was nowhere to be seen. "Korwin's gone," McDonnell said.

Looking around for any clues Rose felt another chill shoot through her and she discovered why. She gasped and tapped the Doctor's arm to get his attention. "Doctor…"

He, along with the others, turned in her direction with widened eyes. On the wall was a burnt silhouette of a human body charred thick with black ash. The Doctor moved closer for a better examination.

"Oh, my God," Scannell breathed out. "Tell me that's not Lerner…"

"Endothermic vaporization," the Doctor declared. "I've never seen one this ferocious." He glanced over to Rose as they both said in unison quietly, "Burn with me."

"That's what we heard Korwin say," Scannell pointed out.

"What?" McDonnell said in shock. "Do you think…? No way!"

"I'm sorry, but it's true," Rose said calmly.

The captain shook her head in denial. "No! He wouldn't do that!" She turned to Scannell. "Scannell, tell them! Korwin is not a killer! He can't vaporize people, he's human!"

The Doctor moved over when he noticed the test results that Abi had been checking on before her unfortunate death. "His bio-scan results…" he muttered as he looked them over with widened eyes. "Internal temperature: one hundred degrees! Body oxygen replaced by hydrogen. Your husband hasn't been infected, he's been overwhelmed."

McDonnell came forward and snatched the results from his hands. "The test results are wrong!"

"But what is it, though?" the Doctor said, his hand thrusting in his hair as he thought. "A parasite? A mutagenic virus? Something that needs a host body, but how did it get inside him?"

"Stop talking like he's some kind of experiment!" the captain cried angrily.

Rose stepped over to her and placed a comforting hand to her arm. "We know you're upset, and we're sorry," she said gently. "But the situation is getting worse."

"Where's the ship been?" The Doctor interjected. "Have you made planet-fall recently? Docked with any other vessels? Any kind of external contact at all?"

The woman shook her head. "What is this, an interrogation?"

"No, that's not what this is," Rose said. "We need to figure out exactly what infected your husband before it spreads to the others."

The Doctor stood beside Rose and nodded. "She's right. Whatever this thing is, it's on the loose and making its rounds. We've got to stop him before he kills again."

"We're just…a cargo ship," she told them before turning away from them.

Scannell looked at the Doctor and Rose. "If you both could just give her a minute," he said with annoyance.

"I'm fine. I need to warn the crew," McDonnell assured before moving to the intercom. "Everybody, listen to me. Something has infected Korwin. We think…" she paused for a second. "We think he killed Abi Lerner. None of you must go anywhere near him, is that clear?"

_**"Understood, Captain,"**_ Ashton responded. _**"Erina? Get back here with that equipment."**_

_**"Impact in 24:51."**_

The captain walked away from the comm and sat down beside the Doctor and Rose, who were still studying the test results. "Is the infection permanent? Can you cure him?"

Rose looked over to the Doctor who hesitated before answering. "I dunno," he said.

He did know. He just didn't want to admit it to this poor woman. "Don't lie to me, Doctor," McDonnell said firmly. "Eleven years we've been married. We chose this ship together. He keeps me honest, so I don't want false hope."

Taking a deep breath the Doctor told her the truth. "The parasite's too aggressive. Your husband's gone. There's no way back, I'm sorry."

The woman took the information and nodded. "Thank you."

Glancing up at her, he moved closer to ask calmly, "Are you certain nothing happened to provoke this? Nobody's working on anything secret? Because it's vital that you tell me."

"I know every inch of this ship," she assured. "I know every detail of my crew's lives. There is nothing."

Rose studied the captain. Earlier when they arrived on this ship she was leary with the crew members and couldn't get herself to really trust them. But at the moment she believed this woman. She had just lost her husband to this mysterious infection and she was undoubtedly distraught. What else could she do but be honest?

Still though, Rose was curious to know something much like the Doctor. "Then why is this thing so interested in you?" she asked.

McDonnell shrugged and shook her head. "I wish I knew."

_**"Doctor, we're through to Area 17,"**_ Martha called out from the intercom.

"Keep going," he called back. "You've gotta get to Area 1 and reboot those engines."

_**"Heat shield failing. At twenty percent."**_

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Remaining in the med-center the Doctor leaned against the bed in the stasis chamber and continued to study the results and try to make some kind of connection to all of this. Korwin was infected and he destroyed the controls causing the ship to fall into the sun. But why? He could've just killed these people in a second, so why crash the ship and delay it?

"We must share the light."

His head shot up at the faint whisper said by Rose. "What was that?"

She shook her head. "What?"

"You just said 'we must share the light,'" he repeated.

"Oh. Sorry. I keep hearing these strange whispers," she told him.

He studied her. Earlier she told him that she had heard whispers in her mind. Though she hadn't repeated them he had a vague idea of what she had heard: _Burn with me._ But now she heard something else: _We must share the light. _What did that mean?

Placing the results down to the side the Doctor lightly touched Rose's arm as he quickly stood. "Come on, let's head back to the engineering room. We have to jump-start this ship as soon as possible."

He motioned for the others to join them when the intercom clicked on, stopping them in their tracks as he inwardly cursed. _**"Doctor!"**_ It was Martha, and by the sound of her voice, it was really bad. _**"We're stuck in an escape pod off the Area 17 airlock. One of the crew's trying to jettison us! You've gotta help us!"**_

The Doctor growled in frustration while Rose groaned, "Oh, God."

"Why is this happening?" McDonnell asked.

Finding a diagram for the quickest route to the designated area the Doctor grabbed Rose's hand and headed down the corridor, ordering to the others over his shoulder, "You two, stay here! I mean it this time! Jump-start those engines!"

Tearing through the twisting corridors and forgotten wires tangled on the floor they hurried to get to Martha. This is was horrible, worse than a nightmare. "Doctor, what if whoever's activated the escape pod is infected?" Rose asked.

"Don't come into contact with them," he answered. "Just stay behind me. I'm not letting you out of my sight right now."

Finally reaching the door to Area 17 Rose gasped when she saw a figure wearing the same wielding gear that Korwin had worn, standing front of a control panel. "Ashton," she breathed out.

"That's enough!" the Doctor shouted. "What do you want? Why this ship? Tell me!"

As a response Ashton growled and slammed a fist into the control panel, causing sparks to fly from it. Turning away he faced them and took a few more steps toward them.

The Doctor kept Rose behind him as he took a few steps of his own, coming within inches of the man's helmet until they were almost nose to nose. "Come on. Let's see you," he taunted. "I want to know what you really are."

Rose gripped his arm from behind as Ashton raised a hand to his visor. _We must share the light._ Her breath hitched at the whisper, but then Ashton suddenly dropped his hand and doubled over in pain. After a few seconds he straightened himself up and walked right by them as if he were mechanical.

"What the hell was that about?" Rose asked in confusion. "Why didn't he attack?"

"Just be glad he didn't," the Doctor replied with a shake of his head before clicking the intercom on. "McDonnell? Ashton's headed in your direction. He's been infected!" he warned. "Any sign of Korwin?"

_**"Korwin's dead, Doctor," **_Scannell reported.

The Doctor closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. Deaths were never acceptable, but the man had no chance of returning back to normal, so it was a given. The good in all of this however was that there was one less infected person onboard, and the other had to be dealt with as soon as possible.

"Martha!" Rose hollered as she looked out of the window.

Springing into action the Doctor went over to the destroyed control panel in an attempt to fix it, but it was no use.

_**"Airlock decompression completed. Jettisoning pod,"**_ said the computerized voice

"Doctor, she's out there," Rose said with a shaky voice.

Raising his head he moved beside her to peer out of the window to watch the pod drifting away and Martha pound against the door for help. "I'll save you!" he shouted desperately, hoping that she could make out his words through the door. "I'll save you!"

_**"Impact in 17:05."**_

Growling out of frustration once again at the alert the Doctor spun away from the door and paced around, trying to come up with a plan.

"Doctor, what're we gonna do?" Rose asked quietly.

Scrubbing a hand down his face he thought hard until an idea came to him - and of course he knew how Rose would react, but it was worth a shot. He stopped pacing and glanced over at her for a moment before turning quickly to the intercom. "Scannell! I need a spacesuit in Area 17, now!"

_**"What for?"**_

"Just get down here!" he yelled.

The tension radiating off of him was intense. Rose had that feeling again and had a good idea of what he was planning. "Doctor, you can't go out there!"

"I've got to," he stressed as he began to pace again.

She slapped her hands on her thighs. "Here we go again. You and your suicidal methods!"

"It's the only way!" He retorted.

"You'll burn!"

He whipped around to face her with a nasty glare. "It's the risk I'm willing to take! I'm not letting her crash into the sun," he snapped, jabbing his finger in the air.

"I don't want that to happen either!" Rose yelled back. "But I'm not gonna let you go out there! What if it doesn't work?" she challenged.

"Don't," he warned.

"Why? I'm not losing _both_ of you in the process!"

"You won't," he stressed seriously. Taking a deep breath he ran a hand down his hair. "If I can breach the magnetic lock on the ship's exterior, it should re-magnetize the pod," he explained in a calmer tone.

Rose shook her head. "But the sun rays-"

"The ship's shields will protect me from any severe damage," he told her as she lowered her head.

As always she had every right to be upset with him. After all, he swore that he'd try to come up with better plans, but as he was constantly in the spur of the moment of hysteria in bad situations it was the risks he was willing to take to protect the people around him. Noticing her indifference he placed two fingers under her chin to tilt her face back up to meet his. "It'll only be for a few minutes - five at the most. Then I come right back in, that's all."

She bit her lip. "Are you sure it'll work?"

He swallowed and arched an eyebrow. "It has to." He took his hand off of her chin to gently nudge her nose with the back of his forefinger before cupping the side of her face, offering a faint lopsided grin.

Rose let out a sigh in defeat. This bloody alien. Apparently that slap across his face should've been a lot harder to be a better reminder to cease him of his ridiculous suicidal methods. And he calls _her_ stubborn. But…she did always trust him, no matter how daft and dangerous his plans were. She was still against it, but apparently there was no other choice.

Scannell came in with an orange-red spacesuit, which the Doctor immediately threw on as he explained his plan. "I can't let you do this," the man told him sternly.

Rose crossed her arms over her chest. "Don't even bother, Scannell. No matter what you say to him, he's gonna do it anyway."

"You wanna open an airlock in flight on a ship spinning into the sun. No one can survive that!" Scannell exclaimed.

The Doctor simply smirked. "Oh, just you watch."

"You open that airlock, it's _suicide!_ This close to the sun, the shields will barely protect you."

For the first time today Rose agreed with this man. She stared at the Doctor pointedly almost like her mother would do to her when she was young. Then again, he can sometimes be the equivalent to a five year old boy, so the stance was appropriate.

"I can handle it, I assure you," he insisted, taking the helmet into his hands. "Now, while I'm out there, you've got to get the rest of those doors open. We need those auxiliary engines."

Scannell shook his head in defiance. "Doctor, will you listen!? They're too far away, it's too late!"

He looked the man right in the eyes. "I'm not losing anyone else."

Taking a deep breath Rose knew there would be no stopping him at all right now. Once an idea struck that mind of his, he always was determined to stick with it, doing whatever he could to save people.

Turning away from Scannell, the Doctor faced Rose with the helmet still in his hands. While she was furious at the moment she couldn't help but be reminded of the similar picture when they were trapped on Krop Tor.

Stepping up to him she poked him in the chest. "I want that space suit back in one piece."

He smiled softly at her. "Yes, sir." Instead of putting his helmet on, he held it under his arm before bringing his opposite hand up behind her head and brought her in for a deep kiss.

She met him halfway as she threw her arms around his neck, not wanting him to go. His hand moved down from her face as his arm wrapped around her waist. When they broke apart she arched her brows at him. "That's a change from last time," she commented.

He chuckled once. "Maybe just a little bit. I'll see you later."

"Not if I see you first." She leaned up for another brief kiss before releasing herself from him as he put his helmet on and headed for the airlock.

Watching him go, she felt another chill shoot through her as the whispers echoed once again in her ears. _Burn with me. We must share the light._

_**"Decompression initiated. Impact in 12:55."**_


	27. 42 Part 3

**A/N: Happy Valentine's Day! :) Just for that, have some lovely chocolates *gives them away* They're virtual, but…hey, I should give _something_ to you guys since I adore all of you ;)**

**Thank you lovely reviewers, followers, and - yes, I've declared this to be an official word - favers! Will that catch on? Eh, oh well. Just know that all of your feedback is appreciated! ;D**

**This chapter is…well…_heated._ Yeah, I tried to make a pun to lighten the mood. **

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_**Chapter 27: 42 Part 3**_

_**"Impact in 11:15. Heat shield failing, at ten percent."**_

The Doctor walked towards the airlock door, more specifically the exterior one, and pressed a button on the panel off to the side. Once it opened an unbearable wave of scorching heat smacked him dead in the face, making him wince. He may have a spacesuit on, but the rays were incredibly strong, both in temperature as well as the blinding light.

Gripping onto the frame as he fought against the air of the space pulling at him like a vacuum, he managed to lean over the edge slightly in an attempt to reach the buttons to the side. Holding himself up with his other hand, he swung his opposite out and just missed the panel. Cursing inwardly he tried again and shook a bit from the forceful winds, knocking himself a little off balance.

Gritting his teeth he hissed in pain as he stretched as far as he could while battling the heat. These shields weren't going to hold up much longer, and he needed to reach the panel before Martha gets too far away and winds up crashing into the burning sun…before this entire ship crashed into it.

He wouldn't let it happen. No one else was going to die here.

"Come on!" he groaned as he finally managed to push the buttons on the side, letting out a brief cheer of victory. "Go on, my son!" One accomplishment achieved. Brilliant! Now he needed to pull the lever beside it - which was ultimately even _more_ of a challenge.

Shifting himself slightly in a new position, he made a reach for the lever and missed. Cursing again he tried again, but couldn't go any farther. The arm gripping onto the frame reached its limit. No, he won't allow that. The longer he hung out, the more he was succumbing to the heat. Breathing heavily, his respiratory bypass was on the verge of kicking in, but even that wouldn't protect him from the suffocating air.

_**"Doctor,"**_ came the much soothing voice of Rose from the intercom. _**"How're you doing?"**_

Stretching again he skimmed over the lever again and grunted. "I can't…" he spoke breathlessly in between panting. "I can't reach! I don't know how much longer I can last!"

_**"Don't give up, Doctor,"**_ she encouraged. _**"You can do this, I know you can. I believe in you."**_

That was all the inspiration he needed. Taking in a shuddering breath he found that extra bit of strength he'd been missing and fought against the pain shooting through his body and the winds. Letting out a scream he stretched until he finally grabbed the lever before pulling it down with everything he had left, hearing it crank.

Struggling back into the airlock he fell to his knees completely exhausted and spent. Looking up he saw the pod returning to the ship, but what struck him most was the sun itself. Its light reflected off of the glass of his helmet.

_**"Doctor, move back,"**_ Rose directed him, but he felt frozen in place.

All he could do was stare in wonder, confusion, and fear at the sight before him and whisper, "It's alive…It's alive?" _Oh, no._ "It's alive!"

_Burn with me._

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Just before she clicked off the intercom, Rose could've sworn she heard the Doctor saying something, but it was all static. Just as she was about to call him again, the computerized voice came on.

_**"Impact at 8:57. Airlock recompression: completed."**_

A breath of relief escaped from her once she saw the Doctor safely making his way back in. Not even hesitating she ran to the door and pulled it open to find the Doctor stumble with his helmet off before he fell to his knees and backed himself against the wall, panting and sweating profusely while groaning with his eyes clamped shut and face contorted.

Ignoring the chill creeping inside of her once again she knelt down beside him. "Doctor?" she said gently. "Doctor, what's wrong?" Placing a hand to his cheek he immediately responded by gripping her wrist tight, making her yelp.

"Stay away from me!" he yelled angrily with a much more deeper and sinister voice. His eyes flicked open slightly as a bright blinding light poured out from the slits.

She felt the color drain from her face as her heart dropped, looking at him in horror. "No," she breathed out barely audible. He couldn't be…he was _infected._ No, no, no, he can't be!

Somehow getting out of his painful grip she backed away from him and scrambled to her feet. Making her way to the door she heard Martha's voice come from behind as well as the others coming down.

"Doctor! Rose! You did it!" She made it to the door and stopped when she caught sight of the Doctor. "Is he okay?"

"What's happened?" McDonnell asked, coming into the room.

"It's your fault, Captain McDonnell!" the Doctor shouted.

The captain winced at his sudden anger before directing, "Riley! Get down to Area 10 and help Scannell with the doors. Go!" The two went right to it and left.

"You mined that sun!" he continued as he writhed against the wall. "Stripped its surface for cheap fuel! You should have scanned for life!"

"I don't understand," McDonnell said.

"Doctor, what're you talking about?" Martha asked fearfully.

Rose's breath hitched when she he had said. _Burn with me._ "It's alive," she whispered before saying it louder. "That sun's _alive!"_

"A living organism," the Doctor ground out, his voice raising with each word. "They scooped out its heart, used it for fuel, and now it's SCREAMING!"

Rose bit back on a sob choking her as she watched him struggle. _We must share the light._

"What do you mean? How can a sun be alive?" McDonnell asked frighteningly before turning to Rose. "Why's he saying that?"

"Because it's living in me," he told her hoarsely.

"Oh, my god…" the captain breathed out.

"Humans! You grab whatever's nearest and bleed it dry! You should have scanned!"

"It takes too long! We'd be caught! Fusion scoops are illegal," she defended.

Rose turned to her now with anger. She trusted this woman and it turned out she was a part of this whole epidemic whether she knew it or not. "And look at what you've accomplished _because_ of it! You angered a living thing, and let it infect and _kill_!" She looked over to the Doctor, her anger fading into concern and panic. "Doctor, I know you're still in there. Tell us what to do."

He let out a low groan before speaking. "You've got to freeze me, quickly!" His voice was still hoarse, but his desperation was peeking through.

Rose wasted no time in pulling him to his feet, which seemed harder than she had thought as he was almost like deadweight.

"What?" Martha asked, coming over to help her.

"Stasis chamber!" he cried. "You gotta keep me…below minus 200. Freeze it out of me!" He screamed again and slumped back to his knees. "It'll use me to kill you if you don't! The closer we get to the sun, the stronger it gets! Med-center! Quickly, quickly!"

Rose nodded with a grunt. "We're on it, c'mon, Martha." Together they managed to get him up on his feet and struggled to rush down the corridor. Every moan and cry that escaped from him tugged at Rose's heart more and more. She hated seeing him in so much pain and in such a vulnerable position.

"What can I do?" McDonnell asked when she began to follow them.

_"You've_ done enough already!" Rose snapped at her.

_**"Impact in 7:30."**_

She growled at the alert. "Oh, shut up already!" Of course it was helpful and informative so they knew how much time they had, but in the mood she was in right now, she would probably tear something apart - starting with that bloody computer.

Finally making it to the med-center the girls set him down on the bed. Martha ran over to the machine's controls while Rose stood by the Doctor's side as he moaned in pain before running over to see if Martha needed help real quick.

"We need to figure out how to work this thing fast," she said.

Martha nodded frantically looking for the instructions. "I know, I'll figure it out! Stay with him. I can do it!

"Rose," the Doctor croaked out in a fearful whimper. "Rose, where are you?"

Rushing back over to his side, she pressed a gentle hand to his cheek to reassure she was with him. "I'm here, I'm here," she said soothingly, taking his hand with her opposite one and holding it close to her face. "It's all right, I'm not leaving you. Stasis chamber, minus 200, yeah?"

"No, you don't know how this equipment works!" McDonnell cried as she came into the room. "You'll kill him! Nobody can survive those temperatures!"

Rose glared daggers at the woman while Martha said, "He's not human. If he says he can survive, then he can."

"Let me help you then!" The captain began to move closer to the machine and Rose exploded.

"Yeah, you've _'helped'_ us _plenty_ today! You touch another control in this ship, I swear you'll only wish you haven't met me. You wanna make yourself useful, then sod off!" she shouted.

"She's right, you've done enough damage," Martha spat angrily as she continued her work.

"Ten seconds," the Doctor panted out. "That's all I'll be able to take. No more!" He let out another painful scream and thrashed around.

Rose could easily feel bruises forming on her wrists as he tightened his grip on her, but she didn't care about them at the moment. All of her focus was on him. "It's all right," she soothed. Pulling the hand still on his cheek away she came out of his grasp to brush back his fringe and wiped away some of the many rivulets of sweat soaking his forehead. "We've got you, Doctor. You'll be fine," She stressed, fighting back on a sob as she watched him.

"It's burning me up," he said, keeping his death grip planted on her wrist as she continued to brush back his hair with her free hand. "I can't control it," he said with that deep, sinister voice. "If you don't get rid of it, I could kill you. I could kill you all!" Rose felt one of her tears escape as the Doctor screamed again before whimpering, "Rose, I'm scared! I'm so scared!"

"Shh, I know you are. Just try to stay calm, love." She'd never referred to him by that name despite admitting her love to him, but he needed all the support and reassurance she could give him. "Martha and I are here, we've got you."

"We're here, Doctor," Martha said, looking over from her work. "You saved me, now I'm returning the favor. Just…just believe in me. Believe in _us_."

"It's burning through me!" he cried as he thrashed again, his face twisting more and more. "I dunno what'll happen!"

"That's enough! You're gonna be just fine, Doctor. Trust us."

He panted again. "There's this process…if I die…"

Rose's breath hitched. Oh, no. Not on her watch. He wasn't dying, not right now. "Doctor, don't-"

"Rose…if I-if I change-"

"Stop it!" she said with firmness. "You're not gonna die. I won't let it happen, I promise." Leaning forward she pressed a soft kiss to his burning, trembling lips. Pulling back, she resumed brushing his hair off of his drenched forehead.

"Rose," Martha said softly. "It's time."

Nodding at her, she removed herself from his grip. As she figured her wrists were definitely bruised and turning a shade of purple. That wasn't any of her concern though right now.

"You ready?" Martha asked.

Rose nodded again at the same time the Doctor admittedly answered, "No!" She leaned over and gave him one more kiss, this time on his forehead, before brushing his hair back one more time and then finally moving away from him to stand by Martha, her insides shaking.

_**"Heat shields failing. At five percent."**_

Martha pulled a lever causing the bed to slide back into the chamber then typed in the required temperature of minus 200. Glancing briefly at Rose, she pressed a button and started the freezing process.

The agonizing screams that came out of the Doctor tore at her heart as she shut her eyes tight and fought back on her tears. But not much later the machine shut off on its own far too soon. Whipping around Rose saw the temperature only at minus 70.

"No!" the Doctor yelled from inside the chamber. "Martha, you can't stop it! Not yet!"

"What's happened?" Rose demanded, her attention immediately falling to the captain. "Did you touch something?"

McDonnell shook her head and observed the machine. "Power's been cut in engineering."

"But who's down there?" Martha asked.

"Leave it to me," the captain replied with a low voice as she ran out of the room.

_**"Impact in 4:47."**_

Rose and Martha immediately ran over to the machine and started pressing random buttons in an attempt to get it to work. "Come on," Martha muttered. "You're defrosting."

"Bloody piece of-" Rose slammed her hand hard on the side out of frustration, which resulted in nothing except a sharp pain shooting through her bruised wrist.

"Calm down, Rose," Martha said softly. She couldn't blame her for being so upset and trying to rid herself from some of her frustrations, but they needed to work fast. "We'll fix this."

"Rose, Martha!" The Doctor's voice rang out from inside the chamber. "Listen, I've only got a moment. The two of you gotta go!"

Martha answered before Rose could. "No way!"

"Get to the front!" he commanded. "Vent the engines! Sun particles in the fuel! Get rid of them!"

"I'm not leaving you," Rose told him.

"You've got to! Give back what they took!" He stopped as he began to convulse again and cried. "Go, _please!"_

Martha moved to pull Rose along with her, but she kept her ground and refused. "Go, I'm staying with him."

"Rose, you can't!"

"Martha, please. I know what I'm doing, and I'm _not_ leaving him."

"He's infected and it could spread to you," Martha told her. "I'm not gonna lose you both."

"You won't lose _either_ of us if you go down and get the power running again. Just go!"

Martha studied her. These two were more than just impossible if there ever was another word to describe them. Realizing that she wasn't going to convince her any further she shook her head then turned to leave. But before she left, she said quietly, "Be careful."

_**"Impact in 4:08."**_

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The Doctor continued to writh and cry out in agony on the bed still within the chamber. He had said he didn't know how much longer he could last, but Rose knew he was strong and that he would fight this as much as he could.

Stepping over to the foot of the bed Rose placed a gentle hand on his calf, causing him to jerk and scream again. "Doctor, it's alright. It's only me."

"Rose!? Why the hell are you still here!?" He growled. "Get out of here! Now! _Please!"_

"No," she said softly, rubbing his leg soothingly. "I'm not going anywhere I'm not leaving you alone."

Another nasty growl escaped him that sent a chill down her spine. "Stupid girl…stupid bloody APE!" he spat out furiously. "Why do you always have to be so damn _stubborn_ all the time? Is your head seriously that _thick_!? You won't be happy until I kill you myself! Is that what it'll take!?" he finished with a gurgling scream.

As cruel as his words were, those weren't what was hurting Rose the most. She hated seeing him in so much pain, and not in his right mind at all. It wasn't him saying those things, it was the sun possessing him. Yes, he could possibly kill her any moment she stays with him, but she couldn't leave him. She was basically taking a big risk by being within his reach, but she didn't care.

Not wanting to think about it but if this entity controlling him succeeded in killing her, then she knew how much more pain the Doctor would be in knowing that his body was used against his will like a puppet to perform the act. He'd never forgive himself for that. She didn't want any of that to happen, but she wasn't leaving him.

Struggling in the bed, the Doctor started to slowly slide out of the stasis chamber. Making a quick decision Rose stepped away from him and moved to the other side of the room. He was strong, but if he couldn't last much longer, then she'd better keep a safe distance between them.

_**"Impact in 2:17."**_

Running off in the corridor, she was about to talk through the intercom to check in with Martha when it clicked on itself.

_**"Riley, Scannell," **_McDonnell called. _**"I'm sorry."**_

_**"McDonnell!" **_Scannell shouted, _**"McDonnell!"**_

_**"Exterior airlock opened."**_

Her breath hitched at the shouts over the comm and closed her eyes when she heard the Doctor scream in pain again before crashing to the floor. The captain sacrificed herself. Rose may have given her a hard time earlier, but she had respect for her. Though the problem still wasn't solved.

"Rose," she heard the Doctor call out in a fearful whimper.

Turning around she saw him on the ground crawling helplessly towards her in the corridor with his eyes still shut tight and gritted his teeth.

Frozen in her spot she tried to breathe steadily. "It's okay, Doctor," she told him calmly, contrasting with her shaky insides. "Just hold on a little longer."

He pushed himself up to his knees, his head bowed down and cried. "I can't fight it!"

"Yes, you can!" She encouraged before clicking on the intercom. "Martha, are you nearly there?"

_**"I'm doing all I can,"**_ she answered frantically. _**"What's going on down there?"**_

Before Rose could respond, the Doctor shouted again from behind. "Rose, get out! I can't fight it! You've got to give it back or-" he paused. Spinning around, Rose saw his body shudder slightly with shaky breaths as he lifted his head and opened his eyes, the light pouring out. _**"Burn with me,"**_ he growled out.

Her heart dropped. "No," she whispered.

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Martha shivered when she heard those ominous words escape from the Doctor on the other end. "Rose, get out of there!" she called out over the intercom.

_**"Survival element protection. Zero percent."**_

There wasn't that much time left. Her friends were in greater danger than ever, and they both might not make it out. But she wouldn't let it happen. They needed each other just as much as she needed them - the world needed them.

She ran down to the front of the ship and found Scannell and Riley.

_**"Impact in 1:21."**_

"Vent the engines! Dump the fuel!" Martha ordered.

Scannell looked at her in shock. "What?"

"Sun particles in the fuel, get rid of them. Do it, now!"

Both men went straight to work and started gathering the barrels containing fuel. "Come on, Doctor. Just hold on," she whispered, praying for her friends to make it out okay.

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The Doctor slowly stood to his feet and Rose immediately dashed down the corridor to get away from him, but he seemed to move at supersonic speed as he grabbed her by the waist from behind. Shoving her hard against the wall, he gripped her already bruised wrists tightly and held them up over her head, causing her to stifle a cry.

_**"Burn with me, Rose."**_

"No!" She kept her eyes closed as she felt the heat coursing out of his own and tried to fight from his hold, but he was too strong. The whispers kept echoing in her ears. "Doctor, you've gotta fight it!"

She struggled again, but he pressed his body against hers to keep her trapped, his face inches away. _**"We must share the light. Burn with me!"**_

Tears burned her eyes as she kept them screwed shut to avoid taking in the light. "Doctor, I know you're in there. You've gotta fight! You're _strong_ - stronger than any human, you can fight this!" She swallowed hard before adding softly, "I love you, Doctor, and I believe in you."

Holding her breath waiting for what he was about to do, he suddenly released her wrists from above her head with a grunt. Opening her eyes Rose saw that he had turned with his back to her, doubling over in pain. She moved a few steps away from him as he panted.

"Gah!" He threw himself back into the wall forcefully, fighting against the power of the sun. Falling to his knees, he screamed again as the blinding light glowed around him.

Bringing an arm up she shielded her eyes she heard an alert blare overhead. _**"Life support systems reaching critical. Repeat: Life support systems reaching critical. Impact in 1:06. Collision alert. Collision alert."**_

_Come on,_ Rose prayed in her head. _Come on, Martha._

_**"Fuel dump in progress. Fuel dump in progress." **_Just as she inwardly cheered a little, the computer alerted, _**"Impact averted. Impact averted."**_

Soon the light began to fade out and his cries turned into soft gasps. Lowering her arm from her face Rose saw the color returning to his eyes before he closed them again as he collapsed back into the wall, breathing heavily.

Approaching him warily, she knelt down in front of him and placed a shaky hand on his face. "Doctor?" she whispered.

His eyes remained shut as he tried to steady his breaths until he suddenly wrapped his arms around her back and brought her close for a fierce, desperate kiss. Shocked at first Rose realized he was back and reciprocated with equal fervor, inwardly smiling when she heard him hum in relief.

Once they finally broke apart he buried his face in her neck and held her tight. "Rose…" he gasped out.

She brought both of her hands up and smoothed his hair as he calmed himself down. "Welcome back," she told him with a watery smile.

He chuckled breathlessly and kissed her pulse point, nuzzling the spot. When he pulled back he stood on wobbly legs and brought her up with him. She cupped his face and caressed his cheekbones with her thumbs. His own hands came up to hold her wrists, but when he made light contact, she hissed a little and flinched.

"Rose, what's wrong?" The Doctor asked concerned.

She shook her head. "'S nothing, just some bruises."

That didn't convince him any. Looking down he noticed the nasty purple marks discolored on her skin with deep welts in the shapes of fingers wrapping around her wrists. His breath hitched at them. _He_ gave her those. Before he could examine her, Martha came running into the corridor.

Rose immediately took her in a hug before she went over to the Doctor. "Glad you're alright. Both of you," she said relieved.

He smiled at her and chuckled, all the while he was kicking himself inside. _Sure, w__hy wouldn't he be. He's always alright, and he was definitely all cheery at the moment._

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"This is never your ship!" Scannell exclaimed as the Doctor circled around the TARDIS, inspecting it for any damage. Truth be told he really didn't have to since She could survive almost anything. What he was doing was avoiding eye contact from anyone - especially Rose. He couldn't look at her right now, not that it was her fault, it was him. Always _him._

Putting on his usual chipper facade, he patted his ship proudly. "Compact, eh? And another good word, robust! Barely a scorch mark on her."

"We can't just leave them drifting with no fuel," Martha said.

"We've sent out an official mayday," Riley informed her. "The authorities will pick us up soon enough."

"Though how we explain what happened…" Scannell added.

The Doctor pressed his lips together and opened the TARDIS door. "Just tell them…that sun needs care and protection, just like any other living thing."

Scannell nodded in response as he turned to walk inside. Martha stayed out for a few minutes while Rose followed him in. She studied him carefully and noticed how distant he seemed to be. "Doctor, what's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong," he answered casually still facing forward. "Still feel a little shaky, but other than that, I'm fine."

Rose arched an eyebrow, though he couldn't see it as he moved around the console and kept his head low. That was a lie, she could tell.

It was understandable that he would feel uncomfortable now since he had a living thing possessing him, and - coming from experience what with the encountering of a certain bitchy trampoline - she knew the feeling. But why was he avoiding her?

Just as she was about to question him again, Martha finally came in and shut the door behind her. "So! Didn't really need you in the end, did we, Doctor?" she asked happily. Rose glanced over at the Doctor, who didn't even respond. She knew that look and it was his broody over thinking face - all calm on the outside but a storm brewing on the inside.

"Sorry," Martha said, all happiness diminished. Coming up the ramp, she flitted her eyes between them. "How're you doing?"

Rose simply nodded once while the Doctor did one of the things he did best: flip his manic switch. "Now!" He pulled the lever and sent them in the vortex, his eyes still fixed on the console. "What do you say, girls? Ice skating on the mineral lakes of Korhaan. Fancy it?"

"Doesn't matter," Rose shrugged, eyeing him.

"Whatever you like," Martha said unsure.

He finally raised his head to look at Martha. "By the way, you'll be needing this." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a long chain with a TARDIS key attached at the end.

Her eyes lit up. "Really?"

"Frequent Flyer's Privilege," he said with smirk as she took it out of his hands. "And…thank you."

"Don't mention it," she said with a smile before realizing, "Oh no, Mum!" Sh patted her pocket to retrieve her phone. "I'll take this in my room."

As she walked away Rose remembered something. "Oh, yeah. Martha, who was it that had more number ones - Elvis or the Beatles?"

Martha turned around. "I asked Mum and she looked it up. It was Elvis."

"Really?" She nodded. "Thanks, just wanted to know." Their friend nodded again before dialing her phone and conversing with her mother as she went down the corridor.

Rose crossed her arms over her chest and eyed the Doctor. He had his back to her as he fiddled with the controls. Clearly he was in his broody state, but he still would get a kick out of this. "Guess you won," she commented lightly.

"What?"

"You were right. Elvis _did_ have more number ones than the Beatles."

He chuckled. "Aren't I always right?"

"No," she said with a chuckle of her own. "But you changed your answer, like what, five times?"

"Maybe, but I knew it was the King all along," he stressed.

"Whatever you say. But you're not getting five quid until you pay the ten you owe me way back from Scotland."

The Doctor snorted. "I wasn't planning on that anyway."

"I knew that already since I'm the one who always pays for everything." He chuckled again. She knew he was forcing it out and she needed to talk to him, but she felt sticky from sweating all day. "'M gonna take a cold shower," she told him.

He nodded, still not facing her. "Okay. Don't make it _too_ cold - not good for your body."

She studied him for another moment before leaving. "You sure you're alright?"

"I'm fine, Rose," he assured. "Go get freshened up. We're going skating!"

Yep, she really needed to talk to him. Turning her head, Rose finally walked down the corridor.

Once she left the Doctor finally lifted his head. He twisted his body around to look down the corridor where she had exited and sighed, running a hand down his face before thrusting it in his hair. Oh, Rose. His poor, lovely, Rose. What had he done?

He hurt her - _physically_ hurt her, and now he couldn't bear to look at her right now. He couldn't stand beside her either. His fears were confirmed: he turned into a monster that he had never wanted her to see, and he can't take it back. She could heal herself, but he'll always know he was the cause of her pain. Possessed or not, he resented himself for doing such a thing at all.

He almost killed her himself.

Was this a sign that he was just too dangerous to be around? Now he was certain she'd never want to bond with him after that incident - if she was capable of creating one with him, that is. Leaning his elbows on the console he buried his face in his hands. He couldn't do this anymore. How could he bring this whole thing up to her without upsetting her?

That was the point. There was no way he could. He felt the TARDIS nudge his mind softly, but he didn't respond to Her. He just remained silent. There was nothing to say, nothing to justify him for what he had done.

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**You can feel the angst, can't you? I know, I know. I'm sorry. **


	28. Trouble in Paradise

**A/N: Soooooo…I'm pretty sure you're all gonna come after me for this. ****You gotta admit this would eventually come even if you didn't want it to, but bear with me here. It _will_ get better.**

**Many thanks to those who've reviewed, followed, and faved! You're all great motivation! ;)**

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_**Chapter 28: Trouble in Paradise**_

The moment Rose came out of her shower, she had full intentions of talking to the Doctor as he entered his brooding state once again. But as she arrived in the console room, it appeared he wasn't in the mood to talk. He pulled the lever and they landed somewhere. Martha had came out of her room after chatting with her mother on her phone, and even sshe noticed the discomfort.

The mineral lakes of Korhaan were a beautiful, if not impossible, sight to see. Not only was the ice a mixture of colors containing purple, magenta, and green that matched the patterns of the sky and the moons, but it looked nothing like ice at all. In fact it shone and glimmered like soft, moving waves of an actual unfrozen lake.

Stepping to the edge the girls crouched down and placed a hand gently to the surface, amazed at the texture. It may have looked like water flowing but it was all solid. Grabbing the specific skates needed to be worn, the group slowly made their way onto the lake. Martha struggled a little and Rose nearly slipped, but the Doctor was behind them and offered his arms for them to hold themselves up with. Pretty soon, both girls became familiar with the surface and let go of him, beginning to glide smoothly.

The entire trip Rose noted how the Doctor continued to distance himself from her. From the moment they arrived, he barely even glanced over to her. The only time they held hands was when she almost fell on the ice at first contact and he kept her up. Because her wrists were still still slightly bruised she bit back on a hiss of pain, but she was sure he heard it the way her breath hitched. Now he wouldn't even touch her, all because he hurt her when he was possessed by the sun in the Torajji system. But it wasn't his fault, though.

She couldn't stand this space left between them. She was going to confront him about this once they got back to the TARDIS.

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"It's amazing how the ice remains that way even in the summer," Martha commented as she sat on the jump seat. She hadn't gone skating since she was a little girl, and when compared to the experience she just had, those lakes seemed to be easier to glide on.

"Not really," the Doctor interjected, sending the TARDIS into the vortex. "Like I said, it's basically winter all year long. They have six seasons, and each is just relatively colder than the previous in the cycle. What you consider winter on Earth is their summer."

"Right." Martha said as she looked over at Rose. She was standing on the opposite side of the console and biting her thumbnail. It wasn't hard to miss the uneasiness again. She also noticed how the Doctor shifted around them. He seemed to be putting space between them - mainly between himself and Rose - and barely even looked at her.

These two have yet to even talk about the incident on that ship. After she had left to make a call for her mother over the phone, she assumed that they would have a chance to talk. But seeing the way they were acting, no conversation was made. That was her cue to give them their privacy.

Taking out her phone she flipped it up. "Oh, wow. Mum's been blasting my voicemail," she lied.

The Doctor turned and arched an eyebrow at her. "Really? We didn't hear it ring all this time," he pointed out.

"Yeah, I lowered the volume so that it wouldn't disrupt us on our trip." _Please be a good enough excuse._

"That's odd, it's supposed to alert you regardless. It doesn't just go silent, the sensors were enhanced."

_Oh, boy._ She simply shrugged. "Well, whatever I did, I made it silent. Besides, I still was alerted, it just wasn't that loud."

The Doctor nodded. "Alright then. At least it's working properly."

Martha stood from the jump seat. "I better call her back, see what all the fuss about. I'll see ya in a little bit." Both he and Rose nodded before she turned to leave them alone. Hopefully they can settle whatever tension they have.

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The moment their friend walked out of the room Rose couldn't help but feel awkward in this atmosphere. She knew that Martha had lied about her phone. Hers was exactly the same, and those sensors didn't just become silent. It was just an excuse to leave.

Now Rose was left alone with the Doctor, who was still avoiding her to say the least, and could easily see how uncomfortable he was becoming. She couldn't stand this oddness in behavior all of a sudden, it needed to be discussed whether or not he wanted to.

He surprised her when he spoke up with his usual chipper tone, though still kept his eyes down. "Did you have fun?"

"Yeah, I guess," she answered flatly, though he didn't seem to notice. But she figured he actually did and waved it off.

"Can't go wrong with skating." He clapped his hands together before returning them to the console. "Right. Where to now? Oh! Since it was mentioned, what d'you say we head to New York - the actual city, and not near Hooverville-"

"Doctor," Rose cut in.

"How about we see the King's panned performance at the _Ed Sullivan Show?_ Didn't get to see it last time-"

"Doctor, cut the crap and tell me what's bothering you," she said firmly, cutting straight to the topic.

She saw his hands still before he shifted himself to the side, almost as if he was hiding behind the time rotor. "Rose, I'm fine-" he started quietly.

_Not again._ Rose moved around the console to see his face which was still hung low. "Don't even try it," she said with seriousness. "You think I don't know your brooding state by now? You might as well have taped a sign on your back saying so. You've been avoiding me all day. You won't even _look_ at me." She took a deep breath and calmed her voice down a bit. "What's wrong? You can tell me."

The Doctor's mind was racing but not as fast as the rapid beating of his hearts. He needed to release this ache that's been bothering him for…quite a while now, but after recent events he's worried of even bringing anything up. For one thing he was actually thankful that he hadn't initiated the bond with her the other night because not only would she have to suffer with the broken and battering past he wished was obliterated from his mind, but she would've felt every ounce of pain he felt when the sun took control of his body.

Felt it multiply when he had hurt her with his own hands.

Rose moved around the console towards him and he shook inside. She was always determined to help him and fix him, and she was usually brilliant at it, but even she couldn't heal him for what he had done.

"Doctor, whatever's bothering you, you can just tell me," she said softly.

He turned his head away and closed his eyes. The scene, while somewhat foggy, burned into his mind. He threw her up against the wall, bounded her wrists with his hands, held them over her head and squeezed so tight. He fear radiated off of her more than the heat from the rising temperatures and overwhelmed him - and he couldn't stop himself. He went too far.

Maybe he _was_ diving in too deep with this woman, and it was only a matter of time until she was drowning along with him - far more than she already was. She didn't deserve that or any of this. She deserved something more, something better - things that he couldn't give her to make her happy.

A hand came to rest on his cheek in an attempt to turn him to face her, but he just couldn't do it. Instead he turned his body away with his back to her, easily feeling her gaze burning into him from behind.

Rose stared at him feeling a mixture of confusion, anger, and hurt. It was like he wanted nothing to do with her. "Doctor, what's your deal? You went from snogging me senseless and holding onto me for dear life not that long ago, and now you won't even look at me. What's wrong?"

His hands made their way into his pockets while his head was bowed. "Are you happy, Rose?" he asked quietly.

Her brows furrowed. "What? Why would you ask that? Of course I'm happy. I'm concerned and a little confused at the moment, but I'm fine. I'm…happy."

"You may be now, but it won't last for much longer," he said with a hollow voice.

"What are you talking about?"

_How could he say this simply?_ That was the problem, there was no way to make this simple. "I'm sorry, I just…I can't do this," he admitted out loud.

"Can't do what?"

Swallowing hard he took a deep breath. "I went too far."

"With _what_? Just tell me," she urged. "Is it because of my wrists? Doctor, I told you I'm fine, they're healing fast, it's nothing-"

"That's the whole point," he said with a louder voice. "I _hurt_ you! You can't brush that off like it's _nothing,_ Rose. I _physically_ hurt you with my own hands! How can you disregard the fact that I almost _killed_ you?"

"That wasn't _your_ fault!" Rose told him. "_You_ didn't do that, it was a bleedin' _sun_ taking over your body!"

"But it was still by _my_ doing."

"So that's why you've been avoiding me? 'Cause you gave me bruises and almost killed me when you were possessed and blame yourself for it?"

He paused. "No…partly."

Rose blinked a few times. "What d'you mean?" He shook his head and stayed silent. _Oh, no he wasn't._ He was definitely _not_ letting this go. She needed answers.

Stepping forward she put a hand on his shoulder and spun him around to face her fully. He seemed shocked by her sudden movement, but she didn't care. "Tell me what the hell is the matter with you, Doctor. I mean it, just tell me. Why are you suddenly distancing yourself from me?"

"I think it's pretty self-explanatory."

"Maybe it is, but I wanna hear it come from you," she challenged. "I'm not leaving until you tell me what's going on with you, and you know very well that I'm here to stay forever, so you can't keep bottling everything up inside."

"That's just it," he replied.

"What is?"

"You're gonna live forever, and you wanna spend it with _me_."

She arched a curious brow at him. "So, what, you're _ashamed_ by that? Of _me_?"

The Doctor shook his head before scrubbing a hand down his face. "No, Rose-"

"Then _what!?"_ She shouted. "You sound like you don't even want this anymore." Her breath hitched, fearing that was what he was trying to say. "You _are,_ aren't you? Are you saying…we're _done?"_

He took in a shuddering breath and spoke calmly. "All's I'm saying is that…we can't keep doing this anymore."

"You're basically saying that you don't wanna be with me anymore," she accused tersely before laughing bitterly. "All of a sudden after this _whole_ entire time. Having spent so much time together, after _finally_ admitting our feelings for each other, after comforting you and being there for you in your emotional traumatic mindset, you're _still_ trying to push me away! You bloody-"

"Don't you see what your life's become _because_ of _me?"_ He shot back. "You've lost so much since the very first day you met me - your friends, your family, every single person you've encountered. You'll never see any of them again because I came into your life! I'm ruining it every day that goes by, and it could only get worse than that."

"How the hell are you _ruining_ my life? This is the life I _chose!"_

He thrust his arms out. "Exactly! _My_ life! I've taken you away from things you could want one day, things that I could never be able to give you - the chance of a _normal_ life with a _human."_

"Woah, _don't_ even go there," she warned, cutting him off with a raised hand. "I told you before, Doctor. Those things were never a concern for me _before_ I met you, why would they be _after_? _Don't_ turn this around onto me. We were given the greatest gift from the universe - the chance to be together _forever,_ to be by each other's sides, and you ask me if I'm happy? How can I not be happy when the one thing we've always wanted now exists?"

"Because it could only turn into a curse," he answered sadly.

Rose laughed again and slapped her thighs. "Here we go again. You _still_ have that notion that living a long life only ends up in loneliness. Why can't you understand that I'm _never_ gonna leave you? What'll it take to prove it to you? Should I tattoo it on my forehead for you to see every day?"

He made a frustrated sound as he turned around and thrust his hand into his hair before turning back to face her. "You see why I don't get close to people? Eh? _This_ is why!

"Oh, I see it very clearly. You're afraid of things getting too _domestic_!" she said hotly.

"That has nothing to do with it!"

Not backing down from him, she stood right up to him. "What about the trip to Noel, then? Huh? Is _that_ relevant?"

"Rose-"

"You planned that trip for one reason, Doctor. You told me straight that we were gonna cherish every second of time together. Why? Was that all out of pity 'cause the Beast said I was gonna die?"

The Doctor shook his head immediately as his eyes widened. "What!? No! That's not-"

"Then what? If you supposedly regretted coming into my life, then why would you admit your feelings for me knowing full well I promised to never leave you? What, were _you_ looking for pity?"

His brows shot up to his hairline. "Of course not! I'm not looking for _anyone's_ pity, and I'm certainly _not_ doing anything out of it for you. I was tired of losing _everything,_ sick and tired of losing _everyone_ around me, and I _still_ am."

Pausing to inhale a shaky breath he continued. "For _so_ many years the universe has kept me under a black cloud, finding new ways to ruin my life and drive me mad. And then when I met you, none of that mattered to me. For once I thought the universe was being somewhat kind to me and gave me the angel I've long since needed in my life though never deserved. But just like always, whenever someone comes into contact with me, the slightest encounter, everything around that person falls apart. Because of _me! _And then I have to live on with the guilt and constant reminder of being the cause of that person's misery."

Rose shook her head. "I'm _not_ miserable. I've never been happier in my life."

The Doctor took another deep breath. "You see? The one thing that could preserve your promise is a curse. Now you'll have to live on and watch everyone around you wither and die. All because you're with me. And now you're destined for the same fate."

"First of all, that wasn't just _my_ promise. _You_ made the promise with me," she corrected. "That day back on Noel gave us the extra push we were looking for to finally admit it to each other after two long years. You've been alone for so long, but you're _not_ any more. You've got me."

He studied her with an unreadable expression. "You could've done better. You could've just found someone human who could give you everything that I couldn't."

"I told you I don't _want_ any of that. None of that matters to me, and you give me things no one else ever _could."_

He snorted in derision. "Sure, just go with the old mad man in a box."

"You keep on degrading yourself, just stop it." She told him before adding quietly, "I love you, Doctor."

"Don't say that," he spoke with barely a whisper with a shake of his head and closed his eyes.

"You _know_ I mean it," she said firmly. "No matter what, that's never gonna change."

Letting out a deep breath, the Doctor scrubbed a hand down his face before stiffening, his jaw clenched tight to show his dimples. "That may be true, but as time goes on you'll realize how much you could have had if you hadn't met me," he said in another low whisper. "The longer you're here you'll see exactly why I'm such a curse myself and you'll grow to resent it."

Rose backed away from him and sighed in frustration. "Oh, my God…you're so _thick!_ Stop trying to push me away! I _made_ the decision to stay here _myself. _You think I don't know that I've lost everything? I think about it all the time, but I know I'd be more of a wreck if I had lost _you__!"_ She went right back over to him and poked him in the chest. "After you tried to send me away into the parallel world with my mum, I chose to go back to you. I chose _you!_ It may have cost me from seeing Mum ever again, and it'll always upset me, but I'd be worse if I couldn't reach you ever again."

"And _look_ at what happened!" He shouted. "I gave you a way out to be _safe!_ I was looking out for you just as I _always_ do, and you have to always defy me and come back. You could've had a better life there with your family and friends - even your baby brother or sister. You can never go back!"

"I never wanted to!" She yelled back, feeling tears burning in the backs of her eyes. "We had just accepted our new relationship, and there was no way in hell I was gonna leave. God, how can you…" Rose paused for a moment to study him as he breathed heavily. "Oh, God. You never thought I'd _actually_ stay with you, did you?"

His eyes narrowed. "What?"

"Even right before Noel, you didn't believe I'd stay with you. Then you planned to take us there in hopes that we could start something new, and like you always do, you claimed you knew it'd work. But deep down, you still didn't believe."

"I _did_ believe," he stressed seriously.

"What about now, Doctor? Do you _still_ believe?" she challenged.

The Doctor opened his mouth to respond but just growled in frustration and turned away from her to thrust a hand in his hair, tugging furiously.

Rose laughed bitterly again as her tears began to mist her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. "There it is. You're scared," she said. "You're _terrified_ of our future…and you wanna run away. Just run away from everything."

"Of course I do!" He shouted as he whipped around. "All my life I've spent running away and never looking back-"

"So, what, you just wanna dump me on the side, then?"

"No," he said sincerely without hesitation. "I'd _never_ do that to you, you know that. I _swore."_

"But you wanna strip me of my - no, _our_ happiness because it's eating away at _you,"_ she concluded before shaking her head. "Oh, you…you _stupid, selfish git!"_

His eyes widened at her words. _"Selfish!?_ How am I selfish? I admit that it was selfish of me to sacrifice to Daleks when I knew I was almost breaking our promise of being together, but I was trying to keep my other promise to keep you _safe._ As daft and ridiculous as my plans are, you're always my number one concern. I _regenerated_ for you, for Rassilon's sake! I'm _always_ looking out for you to make sure you're out of harm's way, that you make it out alive, safe and sound. And right now I'm doing what's best for us-"

"Oh, please, don't give me that rubbish!" Rose spat. "You contradict yourself. You just can't face the fact that someone loves you for who you are."

He leaned closer to her as a shadow crossed his face, his ancient eyes churning. "You don't _fully_ know what kind of man I am," he said in a low voice. "What you see on the outside doesn't do justice for what's inside."

"Well, if you were to just let me in a little more, I _could,"_ Rose told him.

He visibly swallowed hard. "It's not that simple," he said quietly.

"Why? Afraid of what I'll see?" He took a deep breath through his nose. She knew the reason, and yet she still pushed it further. "Oh, I get it. You've been afraid for a while. Even after all this time you've always doubted me - doubted _us._ The more close we become, the more you panic. Just like the other night. You were scared at how far we were gonna go, and you backed away."

"That's not-"

"No, that's _just_ it. You're a bloody coward."

"That's right, I _am_ a coward!" He screamed, advancing on her. "I've been like that all of my lives, but underneath everything are the things I fear the most, things that I _never_ wanna face again," he tried to calm his voice down. "I would never wanna dump any and all of that onto you 'cause it's just unbearable. I love you too much to-"

"Shut up," Rose said in a low, angry voice. "Don't you _dare_ use that as an excuse for pushing me away." He opened his mouth to speak again, but she cut him off with a louder voice. "No! You've said enough, now it's my turn."

His mouth shut as she went on. "You just can't accept the fact of someone getting too close to you and knowing everything that defines you, and you' because of it. Just when things are going good, you panic and run away from everything 'cause _you_ can't handle it. The almighty Doctor, last of the Time Lords - a man who can strike fear into the hearts of so many enemies, the man who's always running away, and he can't deal with something that could actually help him along and stop being broken. I'm sick and tired of dealing with your demons when you don't have the courage to face them _yourself."_

The Doctor stared at her wide eyed. Everything she was saying was true, things he admitted to himself. It was almost as if she had read his mind, and each word pained him a little, especially hearing them coming from her; the one who always heals his wounds, the one who trudges along with him in the darkness and lit up his surroundings - except now she was done with trying to fix him at the moment.

Searching her eyes, he swallowed hard, knowing full well the gravity of his words was weighing down on him. "Fine," he said calmly.

She raised an eyebrow at him. "What?"

He shifted on his feet until he was standing straighter and looked down at her hard. "If you're tired, then just stop trying and walk away."

"That's it?" He just stood still and stared hard at her. Letting out a short breath through her nose, she held her hands up in a surrender. "Fine. You wanna live like a broken mess, fine." She turned and started to walk away down the corridor until she came to a stop then faced him again. "Go 'head, run away like the coward you are and slam into a brick wall, 'cause I'm done being strung along by an old, selfish _bastard."_

With that she ripped the ring off of her finger and threw it at him, hitting him square in the face before it fell to the grating. Glaring at her as she stomped away, he growled angrily as he picked it up and looked over his engravings then placed it in his pocket.

Gripping the edge of the console, the Doctor closed his eyes and gritted his teeth, releasing ragged breaths through his nose. Letting out another growl he grabbed the mallet on the side and started pounding it against the console repeatedly until throwing it hard on the other side of the room, connecting with the wall with a loud thud.

The TARDIS made an attempt at nudging his mind cautiously, but he glared up at the ceiling, sending Her away as well.

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Martha sat in the media room catching up with the _Harry Potter_ series by herself. This has been the occurrence as of lately for the last two weeks.

It's been tense and solemn in the TARDIS ever since the heated argument between the Doctor and Rose. Everything that enlivened the place up had ultimately silenced, and whenever something _did_ come up, it only turned into another row over small, stupid, things then escalated into greater personal issues. She first noticed the change when she came out of her room after giving them some privacy to talk out what was bothering them, and it turned out instead of settling their problems by kissing and making up as they usual did, it only escalated into something worse.

When she first saw Rose, she was in the galley drinking some tea with a hardened expression. That was one sign. Then when she found the Doctor, he was pacing around the corridors before entering a room - the simulation room, as she had been informed of - looking exactly the same and was muttering words in another language. She assumed it was of his home language so the TARDIS couldn't translate it for any of them to understand. Feeling torn that her friends, the dynamic duo, were now avoiding each other as much as possible, and the calmness of the ship had diminished.

Though not entirely as if one of them ended up in the same room as herself, the other would stumble in eventually and just stare at the one already in the room before turning and leaving. But if they both were in the same place, for instance the galley for dinner and whatnot, they didn't initiate any conversation, and when they did it would end up in either a bitter exchange of words or just another row, prompting everyone to leave in an unpleasant mood. Over the last few days, however, she noticed how much more solemn they had become, almost like they both regretted whatever was said yet they still kept their distance.

Martha noticed that the special ring that the Doctor given Rose when they pretended to be a married couple at Royal Hope hospital was absent from her finger. She wasn't too sure if the Doctor had kept his own ring on after the hospital, but even if he did, he'd probably taken his off as well. One morning she noticed Rose coming out of a different room. Not surprisingly they were no longer sleeping in the same bedroom. Whenever they all went out to a different place or planet, they wouldn't even hold hands.

It reminded her of her own parents always bickering and fighting over the smallest things. Even then she was caught in the middle of every squabble just as she was now with the Doctor and Rose. The TARDIS was affected by their terms as well. Her humming sounded sad and Her lights were dimmer than usual. What used to be a ship full of cheerfulness and joy had made a one hundred an eighty degree turn to change into one of depression and all around uncomfortable.

This wasn't the right way to live, especially when it came to those two.

At times she would pat the TARDIS wall or strut to try to communicate with Her. Though She still sounded glum Martha could sense the ship's determination to get them to settle their issues. Martha was no stranger to being a mediator, but every chance she tried to talk to either of them, the other would enter and any and all conversation was chucked away as a staredown or row would commence.

But as they were both of her friends she was going to talk to both of them in private with every opportunity that she had.

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**I know, I know, you're probably cursing me for this angst and wanna slap the Doctor and myself, but I promise it will get better.**


	29. Confrontations

**A/N: As I expected there's a line of people wanting to slap the Doctor lol This is still pretty angsty, but not as tense as the previous chapter. **

**If you're wondering why this is short it's because this was originally part of the previous chapter, but I took it out and made it its own since I'm currently working on the Human Nature/Family of Blood episodes and stretching these out.**

**As always, thank you to the lovely viewers! You all make my days brighter ;)**

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_**Chapter 29: Confrontations**_

Making her way into the corridor, Martha turned until she came across Rose's room. It was easy to identify since there was, not surprising, a pink rose on the door. It used to be placed on anther door along with a circular symbol - most likely a Gallifreyan expression - indicating it belonged to both her and the Doctor.

Martha hoped she could at least get both of them to talk with her about…well, anything. Over the past two weeks, she hasn't been able to confront them properly, so right now, she was going to give it a shot.

Knocking lightly on the door she addressed herself so Rose knew that it was her at the door, though she'd probably narrow it down since she and the Doctor were keeping their distance. "Rose? Are you decent?"

There must have been a slight hesitation until she responded. "Yeah, hold on." Martha heard a shuffling on the bed followed by approaching footsteps. The door opened and Rose appeared wearing a blue long sleeved shirt and black sweatpants. "What's up?"

"Not much. I was just wondering if you were up for a little…company. Just us girls."

Rose bit her lip and nodded hesitantly. "Sure," she hooked her thumb back into the room. "Wanna come in?" Martha nodded as well before her friend stepped back to open the door wider to let her enter before shutting it behind them.

Immediately upon entering she was struck by a splashing of hot pink walls with matching sheets, pillows, and covers. Laying on top looked to be a scrapbook that she had been scanning through. No doubt she was probably reminiscing on the pleasant memories she and the Doctor shared since…well, they've been trying their hardest to avoid coming within close proximities of each other as of lately.

To the side of the bed was a small nightstand with a lamp and some books, novels of various genres and what looked like informative guides of some sort. A round love seat chair was in the corner next to a dresser, basic items such as cosmetics, knick-knacks and other personal belongings displayed. The en suite was pretty average - or _more_ than average given the size - but also basic, just like the wardobe in the other corner of the room.

"Blimey," Martha commented. "It's so…"

Rose made her way back over to sit on her bed. "I know, too bright, innit?"

"No…well, yeah, but it's enlightening," Martha said with a smile.

"Suppose so. It's a replica of my room back at my mum's flat."

"Oh, that's sentimental. You've seen what mine back home looked like, so the one I have here is much better."

Rose laughed shortly, something Martha hadn't heard or seen her do for two weeks. "Believe me, I was never really all spic 'n span either." Laying down her stomach on the bed she moved over for Martha to sit beside her, propping her elbows up to rest her chin in her hands. She lowered one to flip through the scrapbook, a look of nostalgia on her face.

Martha observed the photos and various pieces of paper and items it contained. "This your family?" she asked naively. Of course these were mementos of her life, but she wanted to start with some light conversation, as painful as it may be, but she was determined to get Rose talking about…anything.

"Just my mum," Rose answered, stopping on a picture of a younger her, probably about ten years old, and a woman identified as her mother. "My dad died when I was a baby, and she raised me by herself." There was a hint of emotion in her voice. "She was the only family I really had." She flipped to the next page and pointed to a young black kid. "That's my old mate, Mickey. Always was by my side, that one," she said with a chuckle before sighing. "They're both gone now."

"You lost them at Canary Wharf," Martha concluded sadly, remembering when she first met her and the Doctor at Royal Hope Hospital and they said they were there, also when they told her personal things back in New New York. "They're still alive, though. That's good."

Rose nodded. "Yeah. But they're stuck in a parallel world. We can't even reach her anymore."

"I'm so sorry."

She nodded again. "She's happy though, her and Mickey. He got to be with his gran and mum reunited with my dad - well, a parallel _version_ of him that's alive - and they're expecting a baby. My little brother or sister." She swallowed, staring at the next picture of herself with her mother and Mickey. "The last thing she told me was that she was proud of me for making my own decisions, proud of me and…the Doctor. We had just accepted our new relationship, and she supported us."

"Just like that?"

Rose chuckled. "Kinda. She's had suspicions of us being together since we met." She turned the page and stared at another picture of herself standing with a ruggedly handsome man with short cropped hair and big ears, dressed in a leather jacket.

Martha leaned over and pointed at the man. "Who's that?"

A small smile grazed her lips. "That's the Doctor."

"What?" Martha's brows furrowed in confusion. That couldn't be. "How's that the Doctor?"

"Remember when he mentioned back on the ship that there's this process he goes through when he dies?" Martha nodded. "It's called regeneration. When he dies, he sort of cheats death and can change his appearance - takes on a whole new body. His morals and memories and whatnot never change, he's the same man just with a different face and mannerisms." She tapped a finger on the picture of the man that was the Doctor. "And this was him when we first met."

Martha shook her head. "That's…that's just so…"

Rose arched a brow. "Alien? I know. Sometimes it's hard to forget, and sometimes it's not hard to miss."

"So…that him…he died? What happened?" Martha asked softly.

"Well…" Rose took a deep breath and let it out as she answered. "We were facing the Daleks, and as you know, it wasn't pretty. It was basically the end of a war, and it was getting worse and the Doctor was panicking, whether he wanted me to notice or not. He sent me away in the TARDIS to go back home while he was left alone with them. And I'm sure you know how I felt about that. Both Mum and Mickey kept telling me that he wanted nothing to do with me, that my life was home with them. But I explained to them what my life turned into after everything he showed me, and that I couldn't leave him. I wanted to make a stand and fight.

"When I tried to get back to him though, the TARDIS was programmed to lock and prevent it from moving. So Mickey ran over to the mechanic shop he worked at and got a big tow truck to pull at the lever to get it moving. But when he kept at it, a part of the console broke open and that's when I looked into the Heart of the TARDIS. I absorbed the Time Vortex and became the Bad Wolf: the one who's created to save the Doctor's life. And that's what I did. I came back to him."

"Then how'd he die?" Martha asked, entranced by the story.

Rose nodded. "I'm almost there. You can imagine his face when he saw the TARDIS come back to him, but he was more surprised when he saw _me_ - well, technically I was _Bad Wolf._ Because I had so much power I was able to defeat the Daleks with a swipe of my hand, ending the war. I saw _everything_ - life, death, what must be, what must not. The turning of the universe was just under my feet and I felt every revolution. I saw and felt everything the Doctor could. But it hurt and was killing me. So he absorbed it all, took it all away, and that's what killed him. Then he regenerated into the man he is now. I was scared at first 'cause he never told me he could do that, but then he proved that it was still him. Just with a different body."

Martha blinked in shock. She'll never understand these two. "Wow," she breathed out. "Now I finally got that joke about Bad Wolf. You're both just full of surprises."

Rose smiled softly again. "That's us."

She then explained everything from their first adventures and friendship with a man called Captain Jack and then everything afterwards, talking about future adventures that took a toll on both of them, from visiting Queen Victoria, who was the creator of Torchwood, to an escapade in France, to actually encountering the Devil - the Beast.

Then she talked about how the Doctor took her to a planet called Noel that was dedicated entirely to Christmas, which became the place where they began their relationship as…well, boyfriend and girlfriend, but it never seemed that way with them. They always seemed much _more._ Then she talked about Canary Wharf and all of the pain it had caused her, and how she had almost became trapped in the parallel world and away from the Doctor.

Martha listened intently and studied her friend as a soft tear slid down her face before immediately being wiped away. Both of those two went through so much together, so much loss, and pain, and through it all, the only thing keeping them going was each other. Everything one did for the other was out of protection and care.

"You still love him," she said softly.

Rose nodded. "Yeah," she said quietly. "No matter how aggravating and irritating he may be at times, that'll never change."

Martha didn't doubt that. Why couldn't the Doctor understand that this woman would do any and everything for him and would never leave him? Maybe he did, but was too scared to really admit it. After hearing what he had did for her though proved how he felt about Rose. It was mutual.

"He still loves you, too."

She turned another page and tracing her finger over a collage of pictures of both her and the Doctor as he was now, wearing vintage outfits and silly costumes. At the bottom was a photo of them dressed in Christmas jumpers and hats standing in the TARDIS library decorated with other various Christmas themed items.

"I know," she whispered.

"Then what's the problem?" Martha asked. "Just seeing you both dragging your feet and not talking is…wrong. Why can't you two just make up like always?"

Rose shook her head. "It's…complicating. He's just…I dunno how to explain it. He's got a lot of issues when it comes to…personal things. He doesn't like getting close to people 'cause he knows he'll eventually lose them all. So he pushes them away."

"But he wouldn't push _you_ away," Martha told her firmly. "He cares too much for you to even try."

"But he always _does,"_ Rose said hard. "It doesn't matter, 'cause he always _does!_ Even when I tried to…" she lowered her head and placed a hand over her eyes. "We weren't ready for…the next level," she added quietly. "I don't know if we'll ever be at this point."

_Oh._ Martha brought a hand to Rose's back and rubbed softly. She knew what she was referring to. The night when they were getting ready for the party at Lazarus Laboratories Martha had brought up the all too personal topic of their…intimate life. Rose had said that they had never initiated that stage of their relationship just yet. She must have attempted and he backed away.

_Oh, that bloody alien. He may not be human, but he was still a bloke._

"Don't think like that," Martha said softly. "What you two have is special, something so many people could only wish that they had." Her included. "You both can be together forever - _liter__ally._ So much time can be spent between you, can be shared in so many years to come. He may not say it aloud, but he _does_ love you and cares deeply about you. _Both_ of you do for each other."

"Yeah, but he can't even face it."

"Just tell him how you really feel."

"I always do," Rose answered, removing her hand from her eyes. "'S just that…he's not very open. He's like a stubborn five year old. He constantly shuts himself out and broods over everything he's ever done by himself. He lets me in sometimes, but not fully. He's afraid of revealing every one of his secrets, every one of his regrets, everything that defines him to me. I've been patient with him all this time, but…sometimes I wish he'd just let me in a little more."

"Just talk to him," Martha urged softly. "What's stopping you?"

She took in a shaky breath through her nose. "I know you're trying to help, Martha, but…I just can't right now." Closing the scrapbook, she sat up with a sigh and placed it in her nightstand drawer. "Wanna head over to the media room? We can continue our _Harry Potter_ marathon, unless you wanna pick something else."

"Sure, whatever you want," she responded flatly.

Obviously not everything was settled and brought up, but this was somewhat of an achievement. She would try to get to the Doctor later, and maybe just smack him upside the head for…everything.

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Much to her annoyance Martha watched the next two _Harry Potter_ movies with Rose in the media room until the latter fell asleep on the couch. Looking over at her friend, she thought this was the perfect opportunity to finally confront the Doctor. She hadn't really accomplished much from her talk with Rose, and she was more than certain she'd get almost nowhere with him as well, but she wasn't letting these two live like this.

Slowly getting off of the couch so not to wake up Rose, Martha quietly left the room and entered the corridor. Placing a hand on the wall, she asked the TARDIS, "Do you know where the Doctor is?"

A hum came as a response and sounded like a whisper informing her of his location. This ship has been doing Her best to cheer Martha up in this predicament, though She was also feeling down. She Herself wanted those two to patch up everything, and Martha understood Her impatience.

Saying her thanks, she headed down the corridor until she came across the galley and sure enough, there was the Doctor. He was sitting at the table with his back to the entrance, looking down at something. A delicious smell of a combination of oranges and chicken filled the air as she stepped in.

"Something smells good," she commented.

"Oh, Martha Jones, if only you knew how this tasted," he responded, lifting his head with the faintest forced smile.

Sitting in the seat across from him, she eyed his meal which looked _nothing_ like chicken. In fact it looked anything but edible, as it was a glob of gelatinous orange goop. "Uh, are you sure that's food?"

"Not as such," he said, twisting his spoon around in his plate before plopping it in his mouth. "It's actually a liquid that rises into a more consolidated form when exposed to cooler temperatures. Interesting bit, really."

"So, it's like jello, but…isn't?"

"If you like," he said, taking another spoonful. "Very different from it. Contains different nutrients and comes in varieties of foods. Want some?"

Martha shook her head. "No, thanks." Leaning forward with her elbows on the table, she went straight to the point. "Rose still loves you, you know."

The Doctor pressed his lips together and swallowed as he fixed his gaze at his food. "Martha, don't," he said with a low voice.

"But she _does,"_ she stressed.

"Martha, _please._ What happens between Rose and myself is none of your concern," he told her calmly.

"Just look at you two!" She said with a louder voice. "You're both moping around sulking and refusing to talk anything out. Why can't you understand that everything she did for you over the last, what, two years, she did out of _love?"_

"I _know_ she did," he said with slight irritation. "Don't you think after all this time I'd already know that?"

"Then what's the problem? You're too scared that she loves you too much? Or…that she loves you at all?" He didn't answer her and just kept his eyes downcast. "You know she'll never leave you, right?"

"Of course not," he said quietly. "She promised forever, so of course she'll do everything in her power to keep it." He shook his head. "It doesn't matter, though. Longevity of a life doesn't always make it a blessing. She'll leave me eventually, one way or another."

"Do you really think that distancing yourself from her is actually _helping_ and not hurting her?"

He sucked in a breath and paused for a moment. "It may hurt now…but she'll come to realize that I'm not someone to be with _forever."_

"But she's someone that _you_ could be with." She leaned over and held his wrists to stop him from fidgeting with his food "She makes you better," she said softly.

"Exactly, that's the problem. She's my cure, but I'm her cancer - she does whatever she can to try to make _me_ better all the while I'm destroying her life day after day."

"What do you mean? She loves you, Doctor. She came back to you when you sent her away and saved your life. She told me. She let go of everything to be with you-"

"That's just it. She didn't just _let go_ of everything, she _lost_ everything, Martha - her family, her friends, her home, her humanism as well as the possible future she could have had. And it was all because of _me._ Now she's stuck with an old mad man in a box. _Forever._ It'll only be a matter of time until she finally understands how much I've hurt her in more ways that one can even fathom, dwelling on everything she's lost and could never get back before it breaks her inside."

He sighed. "In the end, her resentment of what I've done to her will eat away at her, unraveling her until there's nothing left. I don't wanna have to witness that just knowing I was the cause of it. What we're doing now may be hurting us, but it's for the best right now."

Martha studied him. "You're scared of losing her," she said softly. "I get that, but that was her choice. She chose you because she loves you, and would never leave you. Why can't you believe her?"

He lifted his head to finally face her. "Oh, I _do._ Not just that…I believe _in_ her, Martha." He gave a breathy chuckle. "Of all of the deities in existence in the universe, out of all of them, she's the only thing that I believe in." He chuckled once through his nose. "Nine hundred years of encountering so many people, so many creatures, so many beings, and she's the _only_ thing."

Martha's eyes widened. "Wait, nine _hundred_ years? You're…nine hundred years old!?"

"Nine hundred and two," he clarified before tilting his head. "More or less."

"Wow…" she breathed out. He looked no more than thirty-five. "You really _are_ old," she joked lightly. He chuckled again and smirked. "Hold on, then how old is Rose?"

"Twenty-one…more or less."

Well…that's _quite_ an age gap. "And she'll live as long as you right?"

The Doctor nodded, his voice hollow. "Oh, yes."

"That's _good_ though," she stressed. "That proves that she'll live up to her promise to stay with you, just what you both always wanted."

"But…I've never felt I ever _deserved_ her," he said low. "And she herself deserves _so_ much more. Something _better."_

"But she doesn't _want_ anything else, Doctor, can't you understand that? Yes, you're in pain right now, but how worse would be if she actually left you? But she promised you forever, and intends to keep it. You know it's true." He remained silent and took a deep breath. "Just tell her how you really feel. Even if she already knows you love her, it doesn't hurt for you to say it to her."

"It's…it's just not that…simple," he said with a head shake. "She does know that, but…the term doesn't do justice to how I _really_ feel."

"Okay, then what does?"

"Martha…are you aware that my people were very _different_ than humans?" He said as a matter of factly.

She snorted as she let go of his wrists. "Really? I haven't noticed."

A faint smirk appeared on his lips for a moment before he hesitantly explained. "The thing is…Time Lords…are telepathic, and…we could transfer so many things between others with the slightest thought or touch. And back home…relationships were handled differently." He paused for a moment before continuing. "When we claim a mate, we create a mental link with them - a permanent bond - and it could exceed all feelings for each other. Far more than any human tradition."

"So…these bonds are like…marriages?" Martha asked.

He nodded. "The majority of the marriages were arranged due to political manipulation and for the sole purpose of passing down genetics. Real emotions were restrictions as they proved to be downgrading to our nature." He snorted in derision. "We were supposed to be _above_ things like that, but that wasn't always the norm. I saw a few couples back home who weren't joined for political purposes, but were actually in love. It was…rare. Only a handful of couples disregarded the needs for genetically enhanced traits to be genuinely in love with their mates, and…it was…" he shook his head as he trailed off.

Martha studied his features. He may not admit it but she could tell just by the way he averted his gaze. "You wanna bond with Rose," she said softly. He barely nodded once, keeping his head low. "What's stopping you?"

Licking his lips, the Doctor let out a breath as he stood from his seat and threw out his plate in a nearby bin. "How about some fresh air? Been a little while since we've strolled across a vast land of hills. I've got a place in mind, wanna head out?"

Obviously that was all she would get out of him at the moment. "Sure."

"Good. Go get Rose and meet up in the console room." And with that, he left her alone in the galley.

Rose was right - he really _was_ like a stubborn five year old.

Martha couldn't help but feel high sympathy for both the Doctor and Rose. Though she wanted to scream at them to bring them out of this funk they put themselves in, she understood each of their sides. They each had their own reasons and admiration for the other, and undoubtedly loved each other with every fiber of their beings.

But they both needed an extra push into releasing everything inside of them just aching to be freed, and she'll find a way to do so.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**Oh, angst. Just a random unimportant note, but "Hurt" by Nine Inch Nails came to my mind when I edited this. Yeah, like I said, that's not important, so don't mind that.**

**You all know what comes next, right? **


	30. The Chase

**A/N: Enter the Chameleon Arch…**

**Last chapter before we get right into the Human Nature arc.**

**Thank you to those who've reviewed, followed, and faved! You're all great motivation ;)**

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

_**Chapter 30: The Chase**_

Setting coordinates on the console, the Doctor's mind was buzzing from the conversation he had just had with Martha - or rather the one that was becoming too painful to talk about that he ultimately ended it far later than he had planned to and walked away like always did. _Coward._ That's what he was, and what he'll always be for as long as he lived.

He was beginning to explain the act of bonding, basically nearly admitting out loud that he had wanted it. Never had he thought he'd have the courage to even _mention_ the idea of it to anyone, much less Martha or Rose…just yet at least. Of course the latter was still keeping her distance from him as he was to her as well, but whenever this…whatever this could be considered was over with, he'd fight the pressuring weight holding him down and finally let it all out before it tears him apart.

Was this considered a break? That word seemed accurate enough for the current situation between them since nothing was really going on. She hadn't made a move to leave, and he hadn't made one to allow her to. They just needed…space. Truth be told, he missed her signature warm smile, her small touches, her mannerisms that he adored so much - he missed _everything._ For two weeks now he had been longing for her touch, her taste.

Basically, he just missed _her_ altogether.

Even the TARDIS was distant in a sense. She seemed to be glum in Her humming, except when She would occasionally scold him every single day for what he had done when it came to letting out his frustrations as a deflection of his fear of bonding with Rose. He regretted hurting her in this way, but maybe this was something they needed for a little bit. He wasn't sure, if he was honest. As always, he would just have to wait it out, just as he's always been doing. Up until the point when he finally tells Rose.

_Rassilon, help him through everything._

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Not much as a surprise Rose was expecting to be brought out of her room at some point to go out of the TARDIS. On one hand it was good for her to get some fresh air since she's been cooped up in her room reminiscing about the pleasant memories she and the Doctor shared, and the mementos of her life. But it was also still a bit…awkward, if she was honest. Deep down, she hoped for this distance thing to end soon because she missed the Doctor, though maybe they needed a little bit of a break.

Okay, that was somewhat of a lie to herself, as she _hated_ this whole entire situation. But…she'll just have to keep being what she's always been - patient.

Martha walked with her to the console room, where the Doctor was standing by the controls with a hand on the lever. He noticed their presence and turned to them with a small smile on his face. "Ready?" The girls nodded as he pulled the lever, sending them in-flight.

Surprisingly there wasn't much turbulence as the TARDIS landed smoothly. Running down the ramp the Doctor threw on his coat and opened the door for both girls as he stepped out first. Once they exited they were met with a wide variety of deep blue grass and vast hills with a green sun off on the horizon. From where they stood, the place was bare with slumping trees and fallen flowers grown to become weeds.

"Apadanzo," the Doctor explained. "Deserted planet of the 43rd century."

"Almost looks like a wasteland," Martha commented flatly.

He scratched his chin. "It was all wiped out during a war with a neighboring planet. Fought over an abundance of vegetation and grains. Very similar to Earth, really. Not as much, but still not that different. There once was so many residential areas here, but they were gone. Everyone here migrated off onto other lands."

"Like refugees?" Rose said, instinctively reaching for the Doctor's hand before stopping herself. She couldn't help but notice his own moving towards her as well when he caught himself and shoved them in his pockets.

"For the most part."

"Then why are we here?" Martha asked.

"Well, haven't been to this place before. Only heard a few stories about it and how some of the preservatives were kept hidden away safely in a small abandoned shop."

"But I thought you said everyone left," Rose pointed out.

"They did. But every so often there would be drifters around that set up blanket bazaars."

"We're here to _buy_ stuff? It looks like there's nothing here. You can't even hear anyone in the distance."

The Doctor nodded his head forward. "That's why we have to walk there." As they walked along the fields he went into full on lecture mode, explaining how the planet came to fruition and details about the once great cities, then about the war held here that drove everyone out.

It wasn't until they went over a hill when Rose twitched and felt a chill. This wasn't good. A small breeze blew past them and what sounded like breaths of whispers filled her ears. "What was that?"

She felt the tension radiating off of the Doctor beside her even though they weren't touching. Suddenly he stopped dead in his tracks, prompting her and Martha to do the same.

"I thought I was the only one who heard it," Martha said. "I thought I was going mad for a second."

"No, you're not mad. Either of you," the Doctor said softly. Furrowing his brows in concentration, he perked his ears as he heard a continuous string of whispers in the wind.

_"Time Lord…so much life…longer life…"_

Audibly swallowing hard he squinted his eyes to stare off in the distance and could make out a green swarm of an entity approaching them. Apparently this race hadn't all been extinct since there were a few survivors.

And, of course, that was bad. That's just his luck, isn't it?

Rose noticed the horrified expression crossing his face. "Doctor, what is it?"

"Turn around and run," he said with a low voice, his eyes still fixed ahead.

"What?" Martha asked.

"Back to the TARDIS, now!" He turned and pushed the girls ahead of him and shouted, "Run!"

Soon the whispers grew into screams as they dashed over the fields back to the TARDIS, ducking their heads as explosions surrounded them from zapping sounds of laser shots being fired. One of them came close to grazing Rose in the side, and the Doctor pushed her further to avoid being hit.

Making it to the ship, the Doctor shouted, "Get down!"

Diving inside and falling onto the ramp, he slammed the doors shut as the girls tried to catch their breaths, the shot connecting with the console and creating sparks.

Rose shook her head from the slight wave of dizziness as she stood when the Doctor ran over to them and seized them with a hand on each of their arms, eyes flitting between them. "Did they see you?" he asked frantically.

Martha shook her head. "I don't know!" she cried.

"But did they _see_ you?"

"We were too busy _running,"_ Rose told him, trying to hide the irritation in her voice.

His brows hit his hairline, the panic in his voice visible. "Girls, it's important - did they see your faces? Either of you?"

"No, they couldn't have," Martha answered.

Accepting that answer he nodded and released them before quickly shrugging off his coat and tossing it over the coral strut, running around the console frantically pressing buttons and flicking switches. "Off we go!"

The girls gripped onto the console hard as the TARDIS lurched into the vortex causing an alert to go off as a warning and the Doctor to let out a string of curses in his native tongue.

"Apparently this place wasn't deserted after all," Rose commented.

"It was _supposed_ to be," the Doctor growled in frustration. Turning to the monitor, he was met with the expectation he had known would happen. "They're following us," he said, pulling another lever.

"How can they do that?" Martha asked. "You've got a time machine!"

"Stolen technology," he explained quickly. "They've got a Time Agent's vortex manipulator. They can follow us wherever we go, right across the universe." He stopped and ran a hand through his hair. "They're never gonna stop."

Turning away from the girls, the Doctor thought hard on some kind of plan, some kind of escape. But that was the problem - there wasn't much of a way to run. Bloody Time Agent space hoppers. Oh, how he hated those. These were Hunters on the prowl looking to extend their limited lifespans as they were dying, and they now had a lock on the TARDIS. He could continue to try shaking them off course in the vortex, but they'd only come back thirstier and rip through his beautiful, magnificent ship. She had so many protocols for countless emergencies, but nothing could stop a preying family of Hunters.

"Unless…" he said quietly aloud. _Oh._ He had an idea, one he'd never thought he'd have to ever resort to, but as it seems it was his _last_ resort, and the only way to ensure the girls' safety as well as his own. "I'll have to do it…" Turning around to face them, he flitted his eyes between them. "You girls trust me, don't you?"

"Of course I do," Martha said.

"Always," Rose said without hesitation as she nodded.

_Oh, his Rose._ Even when they were distancing themselves and frustrating the hell out of each other, she still managed to assure her dedication to him. He couldn't help but feel his hearts clench in his chest, not only for the mess that they were currently in personally in their relationship, but for the plan he had.

Blinking out of his state, he told them "'Cause it all depends on you two," he said urgently.

He ducked down under the console to retrieve a silver fob watch while Rose asked, "What are we supposed to do?"

Rising up he held out the watch. "Take this watch, 'cause my life depends on it. The watch, girls. The watch is _me."_

_Um, okay…_Rose thought to herself. She had her times when she didn't know what kind of nonsensical or confusing things to expect coming out of the Doctor's mouth, but…this?

"Riiiight…that clears it up," she drawled out with much hinted sarcasm and an arched eyebrow.

Martha looked equally confused, and slowly nodded unsure until the Doctor began to walk quickly around the console, causing the girls to catch up to him. "No, hold on! Completely lost!" Martha told him.

"Those creatures are Hunters," he explained quickly, pressing random controls. "They can sniff out anyone, and me being a Time Lord - well, I'm unique. They can track me down across the whole of time and space."

Rose shook her head. "What do they want from you?"

"My _life,"_ he answered, making her breath hitch. "They don't live long; I _do._ They want my life force to extend their lifespans, and they'll stop at nothing to get it."

"Oh, wonderful," Rose commented. "Being chased by bloody vampires."

"And the good news is?" Martha asked in the midst of all the madness that this was turning into.

"They can _smell_ me, but they haven't _seen_ me," he said quickly. "And their life's bound to be running out. So, we hide - wait for them to die."

A chill shot through Rose as she reminded him. "But you said they can track us down."

Stopping what he was doing on the console, he turned to them with a certain expression on his face. "That's why I've got to do it. I have to stop being a Time Lord. I'm gonna become human."

_"What!?"_ Rose squeaked in shock. "Y-you could do that?"

He nodded once. "Yes, but it's…complicated. I don't just stop being a Time Lord, I stop being _me -_ whole new persona takes over. It's…only temporary. Not something I could do long term."

Rose blinked after a moment. Never has he mentioned the fact he could actually change himself into a _human._ "Is that gonna hide you?"

"It should. I'll blend in with everyone around me, they won't know it's me."

Was this real? She couldn't believe it for one second, but as usual he wasn't joking. But…if they could smell _him_ since he's not human… "Woah, wait, hold on," Rose cut in. "What about me? Won't they try to find me too?"

"No," he said far too quickly.

"Are you serious?" She asked. "'Cause my lifespan's extended, too. You said it yourself, they can smell anyone, and I'm not fully human anymore. I'm almost as similar to you, so they could also be tracking me down."

"Yes, but you still hold humanistic qualities. They're biological changes, but your scent isn't as strong as mine," he said, averting her gaze as he moved around the console again.

That wasn't really helping her. There was no way they wouldn't be able to track her down as well. "You're lying to me, aren't ya?"

"Rose-" he began with slight irritation.

"You're doing it again! Leaving me aside," she accused.

He scrubbed a hand down his face and groaned. "Listen," he said calmly. "This is the only way-"

"But if I'm in just as much danger as you, shouldn't I turn as well?"

The Doctor shook his head. "I won't let you."

_Yep. Of course not._ "Too bad," she told him with an arched eyebrow. "I'm capable of making my _own_ decisions."

"I'm aware of that, but you _can't_ go through with this, Rose," he told her. He heard the TARDIS humming in his mind to protest, but he brushed Her to the side.

"Well, then _you_ shouldn't either," she retorted.

"No, I _have_ to do this-"

"What if I don't _want_ you going through with it, huh? What're gonna do then?"

Suddenly the Doctor slammed a hand flat against the console and stared hard at her. "Stop! Just…don't. For once, can't you _listen_ to me? I'm not gonna argue about this. I'm not letting you go through with it - this is only necessary for me, and me _only."_

Rose let out a mirthless chuckle. "Sure, 'cause _you_ have to be the one to save yourself without anyone else's help."

He growled in frustration and looked over at Martha. "Excuse us for a moment, Martha." Reaching over, he grabbed Rose's upper arm and gently tugged her down the corridor, walking at a fast pace.

"Oh, all of a sudden you're worried about causing a scene?" Rose asked him.

Not answering her, the Doctor led her to their room - actually right now, it was back to being just _his_ room, given their 'break.' Opening the door, he stepped in first and released her from his grip. She stared at him as he paced around his bed with a hand thrusted in his hair.

Shutting the door, Rose walked over to him. "How come you never told me that you could become human?"

"It's not really a choice I'd make," he admitted. "If…_when_ I go through with the process, everything that I am will be hidden away, and I become…someone else."

"So…you'll be a stranger?"

He tilted his head as he turned to face her, dropping his hand from his hair. "Not…necessarily. I'll be another person, but I'll still be _me,_ just not…_Time Lord._ It's how I can be able to keep my scent hidden."

"How long will you be like that?"

Swallowing hard he let out a deep breath. "Well…since the Family of Hunters are chasing us at such a fast rate, they haven't got much longer to live. They're like mayflies." He scratched his sideburn with a single finger. "At the most, I'd say three months should be good."

Rose's eyes widened. "Three _months?_ What are me and Martha supposed to do in that whole time?"

"The TARDIS can take care of that…mostly," he replied with a head nod. "Since they locked onto Her trail, they could easily rip through Her despite Her defenses, so She'll have to lay low in that time to keep Herself hidden as well. She's gonna create a human persona for myself and integrate me into society at one place and time, and you two are gonna have to find a way to do the same on your own. She'll provide you with bags full of necessary items relevant to the place she chooses."

Rose nodded. "And…the watch? What's that about?"

"The fob watch is made especially for the Chameleon Arch - the machine that'll perform the process of making me change. It preserves my Time Lord consciousness as my mind becomes that of a human's and can't contain such power," he took it out of his pocket and stepped up to her, holding it out in his hand. "I'm trusting _you_ specifically for keeping it safe, Rose. When the time is right, you'll know what to do with it."

Looking down at the watch, Rose noticed the Circlur Gallifreyan scripture engraved into the metal. Was she really hearing this? She would basically have to live three months without him. Of course, it'll still be _him,_ just…_not_ him. He'd be a human, a whole other _person._ They may have been in the middle of issues and keeping themselves at arm's length as of lately, but she couldn't stand to sit around in one place for that long without him.

"How does it work, this Arch?"

He inhaled a shaky breath. "Well, I've never done a thing like this before. From what I've heard about it, it'll be extremely painful - some said it was worse than regeneration."

"You don't want me to go through any of that," she replied. "But…Doctor, I don't care about any of that. None of the pain would matter to me-"

"Please, Rose," he cut in gently. "I know you mean well, I know that you're being considerate as you always are, but I'll never forgive myself for making you suffer through that." He swallowed hard. _Bad enough you've already been suffering through everything else I've put you through,_ he added in his mind.

Taking the watch gingerly from him, she flipped it open to see a basic clock inside, ticking. "What about me, then? How can I stay hidden?"

"Already have you covered." The Doctor reached into his pocket and pulled out a silver bracelet. "It's a simple olfactory misdirection," he lifted her unoccupied hand and slipped it around her wrist. "Little bit like ventriloquism of the nose, so to speak. It's an elementary trick in certain parts of the galaxy." Taking out the sonic, he clicked the clasp shut so it wouldn't fall off of her. "Safety precautions. Your scent isn't as strong as mine, so this should be able to mask it."

Once again, the TARDIS came into his mind. "_The Wolf could still be at risk,"_ she hummed. _"She will have to make the change."_

_"No, she won't. It's better this way,"_ he said through their link.

_"Some misdirections turn around and become visible."_

_"I've modified the settings up to maximum. She should be safe."_

_"There are still risks. She could still be detected. I could protect the Wolf myself."_

_"I trust that you would, but you've got enough work already to take care of. I'm not letting her go through any of that."_

Rose was unaware of the conversing between them as she inspected the bracelet. Just like the fob watch, it had small inscriptions of Gallifreyan on it. Looking back at him, she realized something. "But…if you're gonna change into a human, you won't remember us," she said quietly.

A sad smile grazed his lips. "Oh, Rose Tyler, I'd _never_ forget you," he said softly. "No matter what, you'll always be somewhere in here-" he tapped a finger to his temple before lowering his hand to his chest, patting the space between his hearts. "-and in here." His voice sounded far more broken than he wanted her to hear, but it was true. And if…no, _when_ they were to bond - or at least try to see if it was possible - as frightening as it was, he'd be glad to have her fill his entire mind when the moment came.

Holding the watch in her palm, Rose moved closer and wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her head between his hearts. The gesture was a bit of a shock to him since they haven't come into contact with each other for two weeks and caused them both to shiver but he returned it almost instantly and stroked her hair and back soothingly.

"Three months," she repeated quietly.

He nodded against her head. "That's all." Pulling back, he brushed a stray hair that had fallen on her face behind her ear. "I'll be back in no time," he whispered.

"I know," she said, releasing her arms from him.

"Now remember when I change, you'll have to somehow integrate in the society yourself," he reminded. "While the TARDIS will take care of mostly everything, go take anything else you may need. Anything basic - extra pair of shoes, brushes - small things like that." She nodded again. "Okay. Both you and Martha do that while I prepare the machine."

"Okay. Do it before they catch up to us," she said.

Nodding once more he took the watch from her then went over to his door and held it open for her to walk through first and watched sadly as she went down the corridor to her room. "I'm so sorry, Rose," he whispered quietly to himself.

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Martha stood by the console patiently waiting for the Doctor and Rose to come back. Not to her surprise another row would've begun - they hadn't had one all day, which was odd for them in their current state. All she hoped for was for this whole Family ordeal to be fixed quickly so that those two could work out their problems and reconcile.

The Doctor finally emerged from the corridor looking somewhat calm. Maybe they had a little bit of progress, and that gave Martha some hope.

"Alright. Now Martha, the TARDIS will prepare some bags for in your wardrobes to take with you," he told her.

"It's like an odd holiday," Martha commented flatly.

He nodded. "I'm sorry for this. Go check and see if there's anything else you may need. I have to do some more preparations before the change."

She nodded and headed off into the corridor. Not knowing exactly where they were going to be, she decided on taking simple items such as brushes and toiletries. After a few moments, she met up with Rose in the corridor as they went back into the console room to find the Doctor rising from the jump seat.

Walking over to the console, the Doctor pressed a few buttons until a machine lowered from the ceiling.

"Never thought I'd use this," he said, watching it descend. "All the times I've wondered…"

"What does it do?" Martha asked as it came to a stop above the jump seat.

"Chameleon Arch," he explained. "Re-writes my biology. Literally changes every single cell in my body. I've set it to human." He took out the watch and he fit the object into a slot on the side of the machine.

"What about Rose? She's not fully human."

"She'll be fine," he assured quickly. "Her scent isn't as strong as mine. I've supplied her with an olfactory bracelet that'll keep her hidden." He ignored the buzzing in his mind from the TARDIS once again as he continued explaining. "Now, the TARDIS will take care of everything - invent a life story for me, find me a setting, and integrate me. Can't do the same for you two, you'll just have to improvise. I should have just enough residual awareness to let you in."

As he prepared the instrument, Martha tried to comprehend it all. "But…hold on, if you're going to rewrite every single cell…isn't it going to hurt?"

He raised his eyebrows and nodded. "Oh, yeah. It hurts."

"So, how long are you going to…not be you?"

"Three months should do it," he said. "They're like mayflies. Within three months, they'll be dead, and I can come back." Once the machine was prepared for the process, he turned back to the girls. "Right. Guess I'll see you in three months." He went over to Martha and gave her a hug. "Take care, Martha. Thank you."

When he turned to Rose, he placed a hand on the side of her face, "I'll see you soon," he said softly.

"Not if I see you first," she told him before pulling him in a tight hug, not wanting him to let go. She leaned up and kissed his cheek and he shivered inside once again. How he missed their warm embraces.

He placed a soft kiss of his own to her temple. "Thank you," he whispered. "Remember to keep the watch with you."

"I will."

Pulling back, the Doctor inhaled a shuddering breath as he sat down on the jump seat and fitted the Arch on his head and flitted his eyes between the girls. "You two should leave the room," he told them. "I have a feeling this won't be pretty."

Rose shook her head. "I'm not leaving you," she said firmly.

Martha stood beside her. "Me neither."

Seeing as there would be no reason to argue, not to mention that there wasn't much time to do so with the Family on their trail, the Doctor sighed. "All right, but whatever you do, do _not_ stop the process once it's started," he informed. "And don't come into contact with me immediately after. My body'll perform its own actions on its own accord, so just let me go, got it?"

Both women nodded as Rose tried her best to calm her stomach down from its twisted state. He pressed his lips together and moved a finger to the side over a button. "Here we go. Allons-y."

With that he sucked in a breath then pressed the button, setting on the machine…and causing Rose's chest to ache.

All she could do was watch in horror as the Doctor's agonizing screams pierced through her ears, his body convulsing as he held onto the Arch with a death-grip and his eyes screwed shut tight. Martha wrapped an arm around her shoulders to hold her through the scene. Shutting her own eyes so she wouldn't have to witness it, she knew without a doubt this image would be burned into her mind just like the horrid incident when the Torajji sun infected his body regardless.

For what seemed like forever the machine made a whirring noise, and his screams eased into silent groans. Opening her eyes, Rose saw his body slump in the jump seat before his hands slid off of the Arch and then falling to the floor grating as the TARDIS landed smoothly. Both girls walked over to him and saw that he was alive, just unconscious. He said not to touch him right after, so Rose tried to resist the urge to pull him into her lap.

After the argument that led them to take a break from their relationship, she'd fought the urge countless times to want to run back to him and hold him with such ease, but seeing him as he was now, all she wanted to do was hold him in her arms.

The TARDIS alerted them that he was about to wake up. Taking the cue, they ran off to stand in the corridor and watched from afar. Inhaling a deep breath he sat upright slowly before standing to his feet then headed out of the door. He grabbed a bag at the end of the ramp and went out into the world, almost mechanically and oblivious to his surroundings.

Once he was gone, Rose choked back on a sob as she went over to the Chameleon Arch and pulled out the fob watch from the slot. She inwardly gasped when she heard a whisper that sounded like the Doctor's voice: _Keep hidden…keep safe._

They heard a zapping sound as two other bags were set against the wall. Looking back at Martha, she placed the watch in her pocket and simply said, "Let's see where we'll have to hide for the next three months."

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**Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy.**

**Response to newboy: You're spot on! That's exactly the reason. ;)**


	31. Human Nature Part 1

**A/N: Finally on Human Nature, here we go! I'll give this to you all a day early. ^_^**

**There are _soooo_ many directions this arc could go in, it kind of overwhelmed me. But this is what I stuck with, so hopefully you enjoy it. **

**Much, much love to all of the lovely people who have reviewed, followed, and faved! I adore every single one of you! Thank you for motivating my lazy self ;D**

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_**Chapter 31: Human Nature Part 1**_

_Two months later_

Rose sat alone at the main desk at the library, flipping carelessly through some random book from the side that a young boy had returned - late she might add - and dismissing any of the information and plot inside of it. Not that she disliked literature, because she always had an enjoyment for it. Every now and then she'd lay around in the monumental one located in the TARDIS and choose from the wide variety of options.

How she wished she could do that now.

It's been about two months since the Family of life-sucking Hunters have chased them down with intentions of consuming the Doctor's lifespan to extend their own as they were living on their last legs and about to die. Because of this, the Doctor needed to hide away from them, and made himself human to disguise his Time Lord scent. The TARDIS continued to help as She integrated him into one time and place before keeping Herself hidden as well.

The point in time that She chose was England 1913. The Doctor's new persona was that of one Dr. John Smith, a history schoolteacher at the Farringham School for Boys. It seemed appropriate given his knowledge even though his Time Lord mind was absent until further notice. Martha came in as his house maid to go along with the certain era, while Rose managed to become the school's librarian.

_Definitely better than being a dinner lady,_ she thought positively.

This school's library was a poor comparison to the magnificent and splendid one in the TARDIS with wall-to-wall shelves that led up to the ceiling, somewhat resembling the one from '_Beauty and the Beast,'_ and often smelled of bananas or some other delicious scent. The one here was _nowhere_ near that level as it was very old fashioned with an equally old, musty odor. Not as appealing.

Of course, she couldn't wait until this whole situation was over. Two months had gone by fairly quickly, but not fast enough as they needed to lay low for one more. So far it's been simple around here, and every so often both she and Martha would check up on him. He'd always expect to see the latter since she was his maid, but whenever he caught sight of the former he would always be polite and kind to her, acting like a true gentleman - not to mention he'd make his rounds in the library every so often.

Good thing too, since he saved her from being smashed by bookshelf when they got here.

That seemed to be the case with first meetings with them. The day she met him, he saved her from her job at the shop - which _he_ blew up - and now that he was a human, he saved her from a falling bookshelf - also caused by _him._ And of course he made a joke about her being jeopardy friendly. This man may not really be the Doctor, but he still had some of his traits.

All she wanted to do was be around him. Being within his proximity felt warm albeit a little strange since this man wasn't _the Doctor_ - he was _John Smith._ But he assured her before he changed that it was still _him._ Conflicting as it was, she just couldn't wait until three months passed so everything could go back to how it was - and maybe their differences could be settled.

A familiar sound of footsteps came into the room, prompting Rose to raise her head from the book she was ultimately inattentive to. "Good morning, Tim. Need something?"

Young Timothy Latimer was a kind, young boy who would visit the library often to retrieve books for assignments. But he also would look for a safe zone as he was bullied by some of the senior students mainly because of his brilliance. Rose assured him that he was more than welcome to visit if there were any problems and could always talk to her. More than once has she scolded the boys who antagonize poor Tim, but apparently they didn't get the message properly. She'll get the point across, though, one way or another.

Tim placed a book on the main desk ready to get checked. "Just this, Miss Tyler," he said.

Pushing her own book to the side, Rose went right to work and checked his book out, which was some kind of historical informative read. "Hmm. Seems kinda boring, huh?" He smiled as she finished. "There we go," she said, handing it to him.

"Thank you, ma'am. Good day."

"And you," she responded with a smile as the boy walked out and to his class. Before she could resume flipping through her book absent mindedly, the matron entered. "Looking for someone, Nurse Redfern?" she asked.

The woman was a matron to the school who Rose had come across on more than one occasion in the halls - and somewhat of a priss, if she was honest. "Not as such, but as I'm currently free for the moment, I took it upon myself to wander. And please, I've told you before that I wouldn't mind you calling me Joan, at least when I'm not around any of the boys."

"Only if you call me Rose when I'm not around them," she said. "'Miss Tyler' seems too…formal."

"That it is, but it comes with the job, doesn't it?" She took a second to study her appearance. "Just like the dress code."

Rose smoothed out her outfit - a tailored look complete with a basic white lace blouse, a black pleated skirt, and some flats. "Yes, I'm not too fond of these outfits but since I'm going to be working here, then I'll have to blend in."

"Well, I must say it's very suitable," the matron said.

Another sound of familiar footsteps approached and they belonged to Martha. "Excuse me, Matron, but one of the young boys have fallen in the outfields and scraped their elbow on some rocks. He's in your office."

Joan nodded. "I'll be right there." She turned back to Rose. "I must get back to work."

"Troublesome boys, right?"

"Indeed. Good day, Miss Tyler." With that, the matron left.

Martha rolled her eyes and leaned her arms on the desk. "One month to go, and I'm still feeling completely useless."

Rose furrowed her brows. "What, why?"

"I'm a doctor…well, sort of. I'm so used to helping people who are injured, and I'm stuck being a maid."

Poor Martha. It's been hard for her being in such an era. "I know, but it'll go by fast, don't worry. If it'll make you feel any better, I could easily fall down the east side stairs just so you could patch me up like you did after I missed being flattened by the bookshelf," she joked.

Martha snorted. "Yeah, thanks for the offer, but you'd heal in a few hours just like you always do."

Rose chuckled for a second before shaking her head. "Seriously though, these posh people are just so…" she trailed off trying to find the right adjective.

"Annoying?" Martha supplied.

She nodded. "Very." These three months couldn't pass fast enough.

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John Smith exited his classroom with a handful of books in one hand that have yet to be returned and a long cane in the other. Ever since arriving here with such ambitions of molding the young, thriving minds of these young boys at this prestigious school, he couldn't help but feel proud at some of the fast learners here. Of course, like any other class, there were a handful of students disregarding knowledge.

Maybe with some more time each of these boys will prove to be bright young men in the coming future.

Walking past the library, he couldn't help but stop and notice Martha talking to one Miss Tyler, who was doing her job as a librarian - and not being crushed by bookshelves.

Something about that woman was amusing and…indescribable - but in the good sense. Not only was she entirely smart with historical events, but she was a wonderful acquaintance. Also with her being a librarian, she knew of wonderfully written pieces of work. He couldn't help but muse over the fact that she loved the works of Charles Dickens, which he himself was very fond of.

Striding in, John nodded at the young boys who exited the room before walking up to the main desk beside Martha. He smiled at her before placing the pile of books in front of Miss Tyler. She looked down at them then arched an eyebrow at him.

"Another pile, Mr. Smith? That's the third time today."

"That's not my intention," he told her. "Some of the boys are careless and forgetful when it comes to deadlines."

She chuckled once and began to check the books one after the other. "It seems to be the trend around here."

He let out a chuckle of his own. "That it is."

She raised a curious brow at him. "Every day?"

"Well…this is a large school filled with aspiring young lads that can easily discard means of learning. It's unfortunate since they don't follow the basic principles." He paused for a moment. "Not to mention I'll have to keep an eye out for any falling bookshelves around you."

"Thankfully they've been steady and it only happened the one time," she joked, setting the books to the side as she checked them back in.

"Can't be too careful," he said.

"You should take your own advice, Mr. Smith, since _you_ were the cause of it."

He scratched his sideburn. "Well…that wasn't my intention either, I assure you."

Miss Tyler laughed. Watching her as she worked on the books, he studied her face intently. Every night for two months since they've both arrived coincidentally at the same time he would see her in his dreams. Always an adventure, and she would always be there with him. He always forgot them in the morning, but made sure to write them all down in his journal.

There was something…special about her, and he couldn't figure out what. In the back of his mind, he could sense it. She was a mystery, and he was entranced by her presence. It felt like a…schoolboy crush, but somehow more than that. What was it about this woman that made him feel so…young and giddy?

"Hello? Mr. Smith?"

Blinking his eyes, he realized he was staring at her. "How rude of me, forgive me. I was…ehm…" he shook his head as his ears began to burn.

"Off in another world?" she guessed.

"Uh, well…I suppose so," he said, hoping his ears weren't too dark of a shade of pink.

She nodded. "It's perfectly fine. It's normal. I do it myself. Imagination is the key to success, yeah?"

"That it is," he agreed. "I guess it's a given with our occupations. What with the many situations that can happen at any given moment, you can create your own worlds, think about what could have happened, what might happen…" he trailed off.

_Why was it when he came around this woman his mind decided to forgo any thoughts for an intellectual conversation?_

"Interesting," she replied. "Of course with literature, you could create the endings yourself."

He leaned over on the desk and told her. "One person can change the course of history, Miss Tyler. The right idea in the right place at the right time is all it takes."

She nodded. "Fair enough. Nice philosophy." Setting the last book on the stack she smiled at him. "There we go, no more forgotten books - until the next time."

John chuckled. "Sorry to inform you that I've yet to require some others for my study."

Miss Tyler rolled her eyes playfully and joked, "Oh, you just love putting me to even more work, don't ya?"

He laughed. "Don't worry, I'll try to keep the quantity fairly low today." Walking away from the main desk he moved over to the shelves and chose from a large selection of literary works ranging from Shakespeare to Twain…and maybe about several other authors.

Once he finished he struggled with the stack of books as he carried them over to the desk…and almost walked into another teacher entering the library.

"Oh, my apologies! So sorry," he said as he made his way to check them out. He could've sworn he heard Miss Tyler giggling at his antics, and it was one of the most beautiful sounds he's ever heard.

Placing the pile on the desk, Miss Tyler laughed. "I'll admit that this actually _is_ a lesser amount than usual. You keep this up, there won't be any left for the boys," she said lightly.

"If it's any consolation, these will most likely be done by tomorrow morning," he replied.

"Quite the bookworm, you are."

He made an affirmative hum and smiled as she finished checking his books. "Thank you once again," he said, grabbing the stack in his arms.

She shrugged. "Just doing my job."

"Well, you do it brilliantly," he complimented before bowing his head out of respect. "Good day, Miss Tyler."

"Good day, Mr. Smith."

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Instead of standing by the main desk, Rose took it upon herself to sit at one of the wooden tables, holding the fob watch in her hand and tracing the Gallifreyan script on the case. It was very late in the night, so no one was meant to be in here. They were all most likely sleeping cozily in their cots dreaming pleasantly.

If only she could be among them.

For the last two months, she hadn't really had a good night's rest. Granted, she really didn't need to given her advanced genetics, but a kip every once in a while would be nice. The problem was that whenever she shut her eyes, the only thing she'd hear were the screams of the Doctor when he used the Chameleon Arch to change, his body convulsing in pain.

Before all of that, they shared a soft moment with each other, though frantic and sad as it was, it was the first physical contact they made with each other in two weeks.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

_"What about me, then? How can I stay hidden?" Rose asked._

_"Already have you covered." The Doctor reached into his pocket and pulled out a silver bracelet. "It's a simple olfactory misdirection," he lifted her hand and slipped it around her wrist. "Little bit like ventriloquism of the nose, so to speak. It's an elementary trick in certain parts of the galaxy. Safety precautions. Your scent isn't as strong as mine, so this should be able to mask it."_

_"But…if you're gonna change into a human, you won't remember us," she said quietly._

_"Oh, Rose Tyler, I'd_ never _forget you," he said softly. "No matter what, you'll always be somewhere in here-" he tapped a finger to his temple before lowering his hand to his chest, patting the space between his hearts. "-and in here."_

_Rose moved closer and wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her head on his chest. "Three months," she repeated quietly._

_"That's all." Pulling back, he brushed a stray hair that had fallen on her face behind her ear. "I'll be back in no time," he whispered._

_"I know."_

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

How she missed him. He stressed that he wouldn't let her go through the painful process of the Chameleon Arch, but none of that mattered to her. Still, he assured her that she was safe with the bracelet on. She kept reminding herself that there was only one month left of hiding away. But what would happen to them? As much as she still was a little furious at him from that argument from months back, she couldn't stand the distance.

Staring at the watch, Rose traced her thumb over the silver case, the whispers continuing. _"Soon, Rose. Soon."_

Just hearing his voice - as _the Doctor,_ and not John Smith - was calming, which sounded barmy since they were the same person…sort of. Speaking of which, he's seemed to inherit the Doctor's infatuation to her as he continually had conversations with her over random topics ranging from history to literature, he's stopped by in the library every so often to return forgotten book, which she believed were just the ones he kept in his study and used it as an excuse to see her.

It was…adorable, if she was honest. Still, she couldn't help but feel a little awkward around him since he was a different man with the same face as the man she loved. Odd as it was, all she could do was wait patiently for one more month. By now that bleeding Family had to have been close to dying by now. Pretty soon this facade will end.

Standing from her seat she decided to head out and make it to her room to at least attempt to get some rest. Feeling a slight twitch in her stomach, she just assumed it was from not sleeping. There was nothing to worry about, she was safe with the olfactory bracelet.

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_"Get down!" _

_The Doctor shouted as he, Rose, and Martha dove down as a laser shot connected with the console and creating sparks. He shut the doors and ran over to the girls, seizing them with a hand on each of their arms. _

_"Did they see you?" he asked frantically, his eyes flitting between them._

_Martha shook her head. "I don't know!"_

_"But did they see you?"_

_"We were too busy running," Rose told him._

_"Girls, it's important - did they see your faces? Either of you?"_

_"No, they couldn't have," Martha answered._

_Accepting that answer he nodded and released them before quickly shrugging off his coat and tossing it over the coral strut, running around the console frantically pressing buttons and flicking switches. "Off we go!"_

_"Apparently this place wasn't deserted after all," Rose commented._

_"It was supposed to be," the Doctor growled in frustration as he turned to the monitor. "They're following us," he said, pulling another lever._

_"How can they do that?" Martha asked. "You've got a time machine!"_

_"Stolen technology," he explained quickly. "They've got a Time Agent's vortex manipulator. They can follow us wherever we go, right across the universe." He stopped and ran a hand through his hair. "They're never gonna stop. Unless…I'll have to do it…" Turning around to face them, he flitted his eyes between them again. "You girls trust me, don't you?"_

_"Of course I do," Martha said._

_"Always," Rose said without hesitation as she nodded._

_"'Cause it all depends on you two," he said urgently._

_He ducked down under the console to retrieve a silver fob watch while Rose asked, "What does? What are we supposed to do?"_

_Rising up he held out the watch. "Take this watch, 'cause my life depends on it. The watch, girls, the watch is-"_

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

John's eyes snapped open, blinking in confusion as he was unaware of his location. Looking down at himself and around the room, he noted that he was in his striped pajamas and in the bed in his study.

After a moment the dream had drifted away. That seemed to be the occurrence since he's arrived at this school. Every night was like a new adventure on a different planet and in a different year - past, present, or future - and they seemed so realistic. It was…odd.

Sitting upright he let out a small yawn as he rubbed his eyes. Turning his legs to hang off the side of the bed he made his way to stand up when he heard a knock on his door. "Come in," he called out.

The door opened and Martha came in wearing her usual maid's outfit and carrying a breakfast tray and a newspaper. The moment she entered, her eyes widened as she paused and made her way to leave. "Pardon me, Mr. Smith, you're not dressed yet. I can come back later-"

"No, it's alright, it's alright," he quickly assured as he stood and threw on his dressing gown. "Put it down," he said kindly. Martha nodded with her eyes lowered as she walked over to the table in the center of the room and set the tray down. "I was, uh…sorry, sorry. Sometimes I have these extraordinary dreams," he blurted out.

_Whoops_. _Curse his gob. It seemed to have a mind of its own._

"What about, sir?" Martha asked politely, moving to open the curtains and bring in the sunlight.

"I dream that I'm this adventurer…this daredevil, a mad man - 'The Doctor,' I'm called. And last night, I dreamt that you were there…as my companion. And Miss Tyler was there as well, as my…" What was she? "…other companion." Yes, that's what she was, but it seemed to be…more than that.

"A teacher, a housemaid, and a librarian? That's an odd combination, sir," Martha commented.

He tilted his head. "I'm a man from another world, though."

She froze in place for a moment. "Well, it can't be true because there's no such thing."

_Maybe so, but his dreams were far from the ordinary and seemed too real._

"There was this…watch," he continued on with his previous dream, walking over to his mantle. "It was actually quite similar to the one Miss Tyler carries…" He raised his chin in wonder. Interesting. He glanced over at Martha and shook his head with a grin. "Ah, it's funny how dreams slip away. But I _do_ remember one thing; it all took place in the future. In the Year of our Lord 2007."

"I can prove that wrong for you, sir," Martha said with a smile. She picked up the newspaper under the food try and handed it to him. "Here's the morning paper. It's Monday, November 10th, 1913. And you're completely human, sir. As human as they come."

Looking over the paper, he smirked and hummed. "That's me - completely human."

"Did you say that Miss Tyler was in your dream as well?" Martha asked curiously.

He folded the paper and swallowed. "Oh, um…yes. _Both_ of you were there as my companions." He waved a hand. "T'was only a dream."

Martha smiled. "Well, I must get to work. Good day, sir."

"Good day, Martha," he said as she left his room.

Dropping the paper on his desk, he scrubbed a hand over his face. Why'd he have to mention any of that out loud? While his dreams proved to feel all too real, he knows many of these people around here would perceive him as some fantasy filled man in his own little world with his head in the clouds. Although…they _were_ entertaining stories.

The one he had just woken up from was interesting indeed, but he couldn't get one from when he first arrived here out of his mind. Something about…Christmas, it had been. He had spent the holiday with Miss Tyler on a Christmas _Land._ It was beautiful. One of those dreams where he felt a longing to taste the sweetness of her kiss, feel the smoothness of her creamy skin-

_Wait_ _a_ _minute…what?_

Okay, now he knew he was _way_ over his head to conjure up such inappropriate thoughts about a fellow colleague. How could someone give off such an effect on him? How ever she did it, he couldn't stop thinking about her for some reason. Whatever it was, this Rose Tyler seemed to be very special. He's never felt like this with…well, anyone.

_Maybe she's _not_ just _anyone?

Shaking his head, John lifted up a pear from his food tray, studying it. Did he like these? He didn't even know. Setting it down, he grabbed an apple instead and ate his breakfast so he could get ready to teach his class.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Are you sure?" Rose asked Martha who ran into the library when the boys went to their classes.

She nodded. "He said that he had a dream about us and that watch, and I could've sworn that I saw a few sketches laying around."

"Sketches? Like drawings?" Martha nodded. That's interesting. After two and a half years of traveling with the Doctor, she'd never known he had artistic abilities. Unless, it was only in this regeneration. Or…maybe it only applies to John Smith. No matter the reason, this can't be good. "Do you think he's been dreaming about us the whole time we've been here?"

"I dunno, it's the first time he's said anything," Martha answered, leaning against the desk. "Is it time to open the watch?"

Rose shook her head. "Not yet. It hasn't been three months, so we'll just have to wait it out."

Reaching into her pocket she pulled out the watch, hearing it whisper, _"Wait, Rose…keep hidden…"_

She looked back up at Martha. "The Doctor said that we'll know what to do when the time is right, and right now we just have to wait. If he's only having dreams, then we should be okay."

A small grin appeared on her friend's face. "I'll bet he's been dreaming a lot about you."

Rose's eyes widened. "Oh, God," she breathed out.

"That's still good, isn't it? I mean…he still thinks about you even if it's not really him. That shows just how much he cares about you."

She only responded with a sigh. Knowing him he probably was this whole time. Before he had changed, he assured her that he'd never forget her no matter what, so it was a possibility. It both warmed her hearts before hurting them at the same time. If they were back on the TARDIS and not in hiding from this situation, would they be smiling at each other and communicating normally, or would they remain avoiding each other and keeping their distance?

Martha noticed her slight uneasiness and reached out to place a hand on her arm. "When this is all over, just talk to him," she said softly.

Taking a deep breath, Rose nodded. "Let's just keep focusing on what's going on now. We'll have to keep a closer eye on him."

"You'll be just fine since he's always strolling around in here," Martha said.

She chuckled. "Yeah, lots of times I don't even think he needs all of those books."

Both girls chatted for a few more minutes talking about some of the other teachers and colleagues in the school until the classes were dismissed.

"I've gotta go," Martha said flatly. "Jenny and I have to scrub floors."

Rose saw her displeasure and lightly reminded her, "Just one more month."

Martha laughed. "It can't pass quick enough," she said as she left the library. Making her way into the halls and down a flight of stairs, she found Jenny, another maid, by the stairs with two buckets of water and sponges. Smiling at her, they each chatted about random people in the school as they were on their knees scrubbing the wooden floors.

She caught sight of a familiar pair of legs walk past them. Glancing up, she greeted John. "Morning, sir."

"Yes, hi," he said distractedly, holding various papers in his hands before he climbed up the stairs. They could be for his upcoming class, or for sketching later on. If he kept dreaming about Rose, then he undoubtedly drew a portrait of her. Maybe multiple ones. It was sweet.

"Head in the clouds, that one," Jenny remarked as he disappeared, "Don't know why you're so sweet on him."

Martha smiled. "He's just so kind to me, that's all. He and Miss Tyler. Not everyone's that considerate, what with me being…" she trailed off. This was a hard era for her to stay in for sure.

"A Londoner?" Jenny guessed.

_Close enough._ "Exactly," Martha said with a laugh. "Good old London Town!"

"Though I must say that Mr. Smith seems to be pining over Miss Tyler."

"Oh…well, they're very nice people."

Jenny smiled. "It's a surprise he ain't falling head over heels for her. It's almost as if they've known each other for a while."

_Oh, how true._

Two senior boys, Baines and Hutchinson, walked over to them as they worked. "Ah, now then, you two. You're not paid to have fun, are you?" Baines said as if he had some authority. "Put a little backbone into it!"

"Yes, sir," Jenny said with a hollow voice, eyes fixed on the floor. "Sorry, sir."

Hutchinson eyed Martha. "You there, what's your name again?"

"Martha, sir. Martha Jones," she said.

"Tell me then, Jones - with hands like those, how can you tell when something's clean?" Both boys laughed mockingly at her before leaving.

"That's very funny, sir," Martha replied snarkily.

"Careful now, don't answer back," Jenny warned as she continued scrubbing.

"I'd answer back with my bucket over his head," she responded.

Jenny laughed. "Oh I wish! Just think though, in a few years time boys like that will be running the country."

"1913," Martha replied quietly, knowing far too much about the events coming in this time period. "They might not."

_One more month. She can deal with it._

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Class ended and John was about to make his way down to the library to return the still fairly large amount of books. He had promised Miss Tyler he'd have them back by the morning since he was a lover of literature and could have them all read by then. Unsurprisingly, he wasn't lying…not fully. There were a few of which he hadn't got to, but he thought it best to return the majority of the ones he had.

Gathering them in his arms, he carried them in a tall stack and struggled for a moment. Perhaps he _should_ try to lessen his amount more. He made it a few steps until he heard someone greet him from behind.

"Good mornin', Mr. Smith."

He turned at the sound of Miss Tyler's voice, causing the book at the top of his stack to fall to the ground. He made an attempt to stop it with his foot and failed.

"Here, lemme help you," she said as she moved to retrieve the book herself.

"No, no, I've got it," he assured her, trying to figure out how to accomplish just that when he's got the pile still in his arms. "Um…ah, just got to…retrieve…" _This wasn't working._ "Ah, if you could take these for a moment…" he said, handing her the stack.

"Yeah, sure."

He bent down and retrieved the fallen book and straightened up with a smile. "There we go. No harm done."

"Maybe you'll rethink your whole book borrowing system," she told him.

"Maybe I should," he agreed with a nod, staring at the book in his hand. "Ah, _Hamlet._ Such an amazing piece of work. Nothing like a good tragedy by one William Shakespeare."

"Not a fan of any of his comedies?" Miss Tyler asked.

"Oh, of course I am. Who doesn't like a good comic relief? I take it you prefer those types, yes? The ones with the happy ending?"

"I guess so," she answered. "His other works like _As You Like It_ and _Much Ado About Nothing_ are more of my style, but when it comes to authors, I have to say that I love my Dickens."

His smile widened. She was amazing. It's no wonder why he was so fascinated by her. "Another great man indeed."

"Uh, I'm still holding your books," she reminded him.

His eyes widened and his smile dropped. "Yes, so you are!" He quickly tried to gather them from her arms. _How could he be so rude?_ "Sorry, sorry. Just let me-"

"No, how about if I take half?" she suggested. "More convenient, yeah?"

"Ah, brilliant idea," he said with a head nod. Doing so, he took away the top half of the stack in her arms. "Perfect! Division of labor," he proclaimed.

"We make quite a team," she said with a smile.

He smiled back. "Don't we just?"

Miss Tyler glanced down at her pile. "So, let's get these checked back in."

She began to head in the direction of the library, but he stopped her. "Oh, um…sorry, I was hoping to keep a few of them in my study for a little bit longer."

"Why, Mr. Smith, you've mislead yourself," she said with an arched eyebrow.

"Yes, I have. This way," he turned around and gestured ahead of him for her to go first. "After you." Let it be known that he always had his manners. As they walked down the hall, he continued to speak. "I must say, Miss Tyler, you are the most dedicated librarian I've ever seen. Most ironically have no interest in works of literature, but not you."

"First compliment I've heard," she mused. "And it's not impossible to love it. So many worlds and creations."

John hummed. "Oh, yes. Like having your dreams put on paper." _Whoops._ He did it again.

"I've done that before, when I was little," Miss Tyler told him. "Just created pictures of my imaginary characters."

"Have you?" Interesting. With the extraordinary dreams he's been having, they'd do wonders.

"What kind of dreams have you had?" She suddenly asked.

_Oh__._ _Had he said that out loud? How could he have born with such a gob?_ Though this woman's imagination could be as vast as his. Maybe she would be interested in the wild fantasies he's been living for the past two months. Although…she may look at him like he was someone in need of psychiatric help.

"Well…I will say that they're things you would never believe, Miss Tyler," John said with a smile.

"You don't have to keep calling me 'Miss Tyler,'" she told him kindly. "It's just too formal. We've known each other for two months, so please, just call me Rose."

He tilted his head and tried it out loud. "Very well…Rose." Not usually the type to use such titles, he felt it suited her just right.

"And it's John, isn't it?"

"Yes," he nodded. "Yes, it is." Typically he'd only prefer to be called by his first name when he was more familiar with someone. Although he had only known this woman for only two months, he felt a certain familiarity when around her.

Rose herself was feeling at peace…somewhat. It was still odd being around the Doctor - no, _John Smith_ - since he was his opposite. It felt almost as if nothing serious happened between them before now, although she still felt a slight pain in her heart from all of this.

Just as John was about to describe some of his dreams they encountered Nurse Redfern. "Oh, hello Mr. Smith, Miss Tyler," she greeted.

_Oh, damn._ "Hello Nurse Redfern," Rose said. "Free period?"

"At the moment," she answered. "Jenkins came down with a cold, nothing serious. I think he's missing his mother more than anything."

"Aw, can't have that," John said with sympathy.

"He received a letter this morning, so he's a lot more chipper."

"That's a relief," Rose responded. She understood that all too well, missing her own mum. At least the boy could communicate with her unlike she could herself.

Making it to the stairs Joan stopped as she noticed a flyer on a headboard. "Have either of you seen this? The annual dance at the village hall tomorrow. It's nothing formal, but rather fun by all accounts," she turned to them and smiled shyly. "It's been ages since I've been to a dance, only no one's asked me."

"Seriously? I'm sure there's someone here that'll be happy to take you," Rose said kindly.

"We'll see. Do you think you'll go?"

Rose's cheeks burned. "Oh…I hadn't thought about that."

"Neither have I," John admitted hesitantly.

It's also been a while since she danced as well. She felt way too daring at the moment. Maybe it was just reminiscence to all of the times she and the Doctor had danced around the console or on some planets. Or maybe it was just a need to be in his company after being distant with each other back on the TARDIS.

Awkward as she felt inside, she couldn't stop herself from asking John, "Would you like to go, John?" _God, that sounded desperate_.

His eyes widened and she could've sworn his ears turned a light shade of pink as he stammered. "Well…I…"

"If…you're not busy, that is," Rose added shyly.

_How could he answer her?_ He'd be delighted to attend her to the dance, but there was a slight problem - he wasn't entirely certain that he could dance at _all._ Rose looked to be someone who could most likely keep a perfect rhythm to beautiful music, but he could very well embarrass her as well as himself. There couldn't be a worse way to be humiliating.

Clearing his throat, John attempted to give her straight answer, but ultimately failed as figeted in place. "Oh, no…well, I'm, I mean…there's no reason why you shouldn't go…I…even if I do, then I would...um, I mean I wouldn't want to-"

"The stairs," she cut in.

"-Make a…" _Wait, what did she say?_ "W-what about the stairs?"

"They're right behind you, watch out!"

But of course he didn't process her warning quick enough as he turned his head and fell backwards down the flight of stairs sending the piles of books as well as some papers flying in the air. He landed at the bottom flat on his back with a grunt. "Ow…" he said flatly.

Apparently there _was_ another way he could embarrass himself in front of Miss Rose Tyler.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**Response to Doctor who: Hello fellow fangirl! :D Awww, that's so flattering! Thank you so much! *intense blushing* I'm glad you're enjoying this ;)**


	32. Human Nature Part 2

**A/N: Next part :) In an unrelated note, the last episode of Broadchurch 2 comes on tonight - of course with me being American the only way I can watch it is online, and I can't do it until tomorrow, and I'm very impatient sooooo…why am I rambling about this? You all just wanna get to the chapter. Don't mind me ;)**

**Many thanks to the lovely people who've reviewed, followed, and faved! :D**

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

_**Chapter 32: Human Nature Part 2**_

Trying her hardest to suppress a giggle Rose managed to hide her smile behind her hand as she watched Nurse Redfern tend to John's wound on the back of his head after his little spill down the stairs.

She was a little annoyed by the matron as she had came over to them just as the Doctor - _John_ - was about to describe his dreams to her. Of course it wasn't the woman's fault, but Rose couldn't help but notice how the woman looks at him. The last thing she needed was someone chasing after her man. Well…_John_ wasn't hers, but _the Doctor_ was…but they were the same…

This whole thing was still confusing to her, but she wasn't letting another woman come close to him. While she knew this was serious, it could prove to be risky since he was remembering past events, and she was still curious to know what exactly he saw and felt.

Standing by his side, she saw the scowl on his face as he wasn't too keen on being taken cared for like a child. He was probably more embarrassed about how he acquired such a scar and caused her to giggle.

He grumbled and grunted as the matron patched him up. "Stop it. I get boys causing less fuss than this," she told him.

"Yes, but it _hurts,"_ he whined.

"Oh, come on," Rose said, not bothering to hide her smile. "It could've been worse, yeah?"

Suddenly Martha ran into the room as the door was opened wide. "Is he all right?"

"Excuse me, Martha," Joan said with the type of judgemental posh voice that Rose hated. "It's hardly good form to enter a master's study without knocking."

Martha looked like she was fighting the urge to roll her eyes and shook her head. "Sorry, right, yeah." She ran back out into the hall and knocked on the open door before entering again. "But is he all right?" she repeated as she glanced at John. "They said you fell down the stairs, sir."

"No, it was just a tumble, that's all," he said sheepishly.

Rose snorted. "Oh, it was _more_ than that. He flipped backwards down the stairs with books and papers flyin' everywhere." She turned to him. "And you call _me_ jeopardy friendly."

He chuckled. "I suppose that makes us even."

Martha smiled at them before asking Joan, "Have you checked for a concussion?"

"I have," she responded. "And I daresay I know a lot more about it than you."

"Sorry," Martha said surprisingly with a calm face, but Rose could tell she was fighting the urge to snap at the woman. "I-I'll just…tidy your things."

_Oh, that was so rude,_ Rose thought. If only Joan knew how brilliant Martha was with medical knowledge. After this is over, she deserves to be treated to somewhere nice for putting up with these posh, snobby types.

"So, John," Rose began, trying to get back on topic as she sat down next to him. "You were about to tell me about your dreams."

His brows raised. "Ah, right! They are quite remarkable tales. I keep imagining that I'm someone else, and that I'm hiding…"

_Uh, oh._ "Hiding?" She asked curiously, fighting the shaking feeling in her stomach. "From what?"

John shook his head. "I'm not sure. It's…almost every night…" he trailed off and laughed nervously. "This is going to sound silly-"

"You can tell me," she assured with a small smile.

He nodded once and shifted in his seat to face her fully, disregarding the matron's presence. "Well, I dream, quite often, that I have two hearts."

_Oh, no. Another red flag._

"Well then, I can be the judge of that," Joan said as she reached in her bag and pulled out a stethoscope. Moving to to his side, she put it on and placed it against his chest.

Rose held her breath as the matron checked both sides of his chest. When she glanced at John, she caught him staring at her with an amused expression before he lowered his gaze shyly. She couldn't help but inwardly blush at him. He was just so smitten like a little boy. It was…adorable.

"I can confirm the diagnosis," Joan said, removing the stethoscope. "Just one heart, singular."

"Could've come in handy if you did have two," Rose blurted out lightly.

John chuckled. "I've…written down some of these dreams in the form of fiction," he paused for a moment. "Um, not that they would be of any interest-"

"No, please. I'd love to see them," Rose said nicely.

He smiled as he stood up and fixed his suit jacket. "Well, I've never actually shown it to anyone before," he said shyly as he led her over to his desk to retrieve his journal - only to find it not in its place. "Oh, no." He lifted his many piles of empty papers and books as he searched for his journal. How could he have misplaced such a simple leather bound book?

Straightening up, John turned to face Rose with a sheepish expression. "It appears that I have…misplaced it."

Rose smiled politely. "Too many books around here, I wouldn't be surprised."

Trying to hide his frown, he tilted his head. "I'm very sorry for my disorganization. Perhaps another time?"

She nodded. "Sure. I have to leave anyway," she picked up a pile of books from his desk. "I've got some to put away of my own. I'll see you later, John."

"Right. Until next time, Rose," he said with a small smile as she turned and left.

"Mr. Smith, is this what you were looking for?" The matron asked from the side.

Turning around, he saw his leather bound book in her hands. "Yes, it is! Where'd you find it?"

"It seemed to find its way under your bed," she answered.

"What a place for it to be," he said sheepishly. It's a shame Miss Tyler wasn't here to finally see it. He had a feeling she'd have some enjoyment out of seeing what things came from his mind.

"Would you mind if I had a look?" Nurse Redfern asked.

John blinked a few times. "Um, no, no. Go right ahead."

"'_Journal of Impossible Things'_," she read aloud before opening it and turning the pages slowly as she observed his sketches. "Just look at these creatures! Such imagination."

"Mmm. It's become quite a hobby," he said, looking over the many creatures in the book.

"It's wonderful…and quite an eye for the pretty girls. Is that…Miss Tyler?" she asked with disbelief pointing to one of the sketches.

"Oh, no, no, no," he said quickly as he looked down at the page. "She's just an invention, this character. I haven't decided what to call her." _Her name is Rose,_ he answered in his mind.

"She closely resembles our librarian," Nurse Redfern remarked.

_That's because it _is_ her._ He studied it thoughtfully before saying casually, "I suppose they bear some resemblance, but that was unintentional."

Martha watched him from the side as she fixed up his messy stack of books on the shelf. She could easily see his eyes softening as he studied his artwork, more specifically the sketch of Rose. Human or not and with differences between them personally in their normal lives, the Doctor still had her in his thoughts and loved her deeply.

"Ah, that's the box. The blue box," he continued. "It's always there like a…like a magic carpet. This funny little box that transports me to faraway places."

"Like a doorway?" the matron asked.

He nodded and hummed. "I sometimes think how magical life would be if things like this were true."

"If only," the Matron responded.

Martha inwardly sighed. How she missed that life. Just one more month until they're free from this isolation.

Looking back over to John who had a wondrous glint in his eyes, he chuckled. "It's just a dream." _Oh, if only you knew how real it was having all of Time and Space at your fingertips,_ Martha thought to herself.

Nurse Redfern placed his journal back down on his desk. "Thank you for showing me, John," she said kindly. "I'll be taking my leave."

John nodded. "Good day, matron."

"Please, call me 'Joan'. At least when I'm not around the boys."

He tilted his head. "Fair enough. Good day, Joan."

As the matron left she pulled Martha to the side. "Who is he, Martha?" the matron asked quietly.

Martha looked at her warily. "I'm sorry?"

"It's like he's left the kettle on. Like…he knows he has something to get back to, but he can't remember what."

She chuckled nervously. "That's just him."

"You arrived with him, though, didn't you?" Nurse Redfern asked. "He found you employment here at the school, isn't that right?"

"I used to work for the family," Martha answered quickly. "He just sort of…inherited me."

"Well, I'd be careful. If you don't mind my saying, you sometimes seem a little familiar with him. Best remember your position." With that she turned and walked away.

"Yes, ma'am," Martha muttered irritably. She _really_ couldn't wait to get out of this place.

It was pretty obvious that the matron was interested in John Smith, and it's not hard to see why; he was a debonair gentleman with a magnetic aura that drew people to him. Of course he was similar to the Doctor while _very_ different. But only one woman was on his mind, human or not, and it was Rose, just as it always will be.

Martha was fortunate that was the case because there were already enough issues between the two of them and his human form fawning over another woman would make matters worse. Luckily this whole time she's seen Rose the happiest she's been in a while despite everything that's been happening.

She just kept hope that when this is all over they can return to their joyful loving selves and they can all go back to their old lives.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"She _would_ be the one who finds it," Rose muttered.

"Yeah, but she didn't take it with her to look through it more," Martha told her. "The moment she saw a sketch of you she turned and left."

"Huh."

Martha arched an eyebrow at her. "That's all you have to say?" Rose shrugged. "Well, you know what else? She said I'm getting too close to him."

"So rude," Rose commented.

Martha snorted. "Tell me about it.

"Like we haven't noticed how _she_ looks when she's around him," she snorted. "Posh, prissy snobs."

Martha can sense the tension coming off of Rose and it's understandable. She's been the Doctor's…'more than just a girlfriend but less than a wife' for years and committed herself to him, so of course she'd be a little possessive.

"Still, he only thinks about _you_," she told her.

Rose rubbed her forehead. "I figured he would," she said quietly.

"That's a _good_ thing, Rose, believe me. It means that he always thinks about you even when it's not him."

"Yeah…we just have to keep a close eye on him with these dreams of his."

"You know what? Jenny asked me earlier if we could hang out later tonight," Martha mentioned. "Come with us. It'll be better than standing in a stuffy library all day and night," she said with a laugh.

Tilting her head, Rose considered it. "Yeah, okay. I could do with some fresh air."

Later that night, Rose and Martha headed over to the nearby pub where Jenny insisted they join her as she sat outside. It's been a while since Rose had hung out with other women besides her friend on the TARDIS, so it was nice to get out and have some girl time.

Though it was odd to want to hang out on a cold, November night, but it was a chance to get out of the stuffy school. Martha ran inside the pub to fetch three pints of beers while Rose sat down with Jenny.

"Ah! Miss Tyler, so glad you could come out!" The maid said happily.

"Please, call me Rose when I'm not in the school," she told her, pulling her jacket closer for warmth.

Jenny smiled. "Sure thing."

Martha arrived minutes later, carefully placing the pints on the table. "Oh! It's freezing out here!" she cried, taking her seat beside Rose. "Why can't we have a drink inside the pub?"

Jenny waved her hand. "Now don't be ridiculous," she laughed, "It's all very well those Suffragettes, but that's London, that's miles away."

"But don't you wanna scream sometimes, having to bow and scrape and behave?" Martha asked. "Don't you just wanna tell them?"

"I dunno," she said with a shrug.

"Come on, Jenny," Rose cut in. "You can stand up for yourself. Just because you're a woman doesn't mean you can't take matters into your own hands."

The maid simply laughed. "Things must be different where you two are from."

"Oh, definitely."

"Thank God we're not staying," Martha remarked.

"You keep saying that," Jenny said, taking a sip from her beer.

"Just you wait. One more month and we're as free as the wind," Martha said with wonder. "I wish you could come with us Jenny, you'd love it!"

"Where are you gonna go?" Jenny asked.

"Anywhere," Rose answered with a smile as she looked up at the stars. "Everywhere." She pointed up at the sky. "Just look up there. Imagine you could go all the way out to the stars. Seeing places you could never believe existed."

Jenny laughed. "You don't half say mad things!"

"That's where we're going," she told her. "Into the sky, all the way out."

The maid laughed again leading the others to join her before raising their glasses and clinking them together and taking a swig. Rose had never felt so carefree in a while. She's actually been in a fairly good mood since they've arrived here despite the fact they were in hiding.

After a moment she felt a twitch and her eyes widened. _Oh, no._ Looking up in the sky she saw a green light flash as it shot by, prompting Rose to stand up. That…definitely was not a good sign.

"Did you see that?" Martha gasped.

"Yes," Rose said shakily.

"See what?" Jenny asked, confused.

"Did you see it though? Right up there, just for a second."

Jenny turned her head and looked up at the sky. "There's nothing there."

The chill that shot through Rose certainly wasn't from the cold wind blowing by. Could that be the Family? The sound of running footsteps came from behind her. Turning around she saw Nurse Redfern approaching them.

"Matron, are you all right?" Martha asked.

"Did you see that?" Joan gasped. "There was something in the woods…this light-"

"Anything wrong, ladies?" The women turned to find John coming out of the pub and up behind them, wearing a long coat and holding a hat in his hand. "Far too cold to be standing around in the dark, don't you-"

"There!" Rose cut him off as she pointed up. "Look in the sky." Another flash of green light shot by.

"Oh, that's beautiful," Jenny commented.

Once the light disappeared again, John informed, "All gone. Commonly known as a meteorite. It's just rocks falling to the ground, that's all," he said casually.

Yeah, that was no _meteorite_. But, she would humor him. "You seem to know much of the topic for a history teacher."

He smiled at her and tilted his head. "Well, you'll find that I'm actually quite familiar with many topics other than just history, Rose."

She couldn't help but smile back at him and roll her eyes. He may be a human, but his Time Lord ego was still intact.

"It came down in the woods," Joan said with a frown.

"No, no, no," John interjected "They always look close, when actually they're miles off. Nothing left but a cinder. Now, I should escort you back to the school." He looked over his shoulder at the women. "Ladies?"

"No, we're fine," Martha answered distractedly as she and Jenny kept their gaze up at the sky.

"Then I shall bid you goodnight," he said kindly before turning to Rose. "Miss Tyler?"

"Oh…" As much as she enjoyed being in his company after being distant in the times before this hiding in seclusion situation, that green light wasn't normal, and needed some investigating. But…she saw some kind of hopeful glimmer in his eyes, one similar to that of the Doctor's.

She went over to Martha and whispered, "Be careful. We don't know what it is." When Martha nodded, she turned back to John. "Sure I'll come."

A warm smile spread on his face as he placed his hat on his head and walked the matron and Rose back to the school. After a few minutes another twitchy feeling hit her insides. Whatever that green light was, it most definitely wasn't normal. If it turned out to be the Family…well, the Doctor told her when the time was right, she'd know what to do, so she'll just wait.

The entire way back to the school, John began to talk about various topics ranging from literature and astrology. Rose couldn't resist testing his knowledge on the stars. More than once did he stop and point up and talk of constellations. He was so much like the Doctor while still at the same time…not. Conflicting as she felt inside, she couldn't help but admire the man.

Once Joan was dropped off at her study, John led Rose up another flight of stairs to her own. "Thank you," she told him as they made it to her door.

Taking off his hat, he bowed his head in a gentlemanly manner. "The pleasure was mine, Miss Tyler," he said kindly.

She chuckled. "John, I told you that you can call me Rose."

"Sorry, it's just a habit," he said scratching his sideburn with his unoccupied hand. Rose noticed how many of the Doctor's mannerisms would slip through and couldn't help but smile inwardly. How she missed him.

"Oh!" John exclaimed. "I almost forgot…" he reached in his coat and pulled out a leather bound book. "My journal's been recovered."

Rose laughed. "Lemme guess, it was buried behind your many books?"

He tilted his head. "Ironically no. But since you were interested I thought you could…" he trailed off when he cleared his throat. "I wouldn't mind if you were to hold onto it for a little bit. It's only appropriate since I was irresponsible for losing it the first time when you wanted to look through it."

Smiling at him, she took the journal from his hands and read its title out loud. "'_Journal of Impossible Things_.' Such a straightforward title," she commented.

He made an affirmative hum. "Makes sense if you were to read them."

"I look forward to, I like the impossible. Thank you, John." Studying him, she couldn't resist as she leaned up and kissed his cheek. When she met his face again, she could've sworn she saw him blush in the dim moonlight streaking from the back window, causing her to do the same.

She smiled lightly. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Rose," he said softly before turning on his heel and leaving her in her room.

Closing the door, she let out a sigh before plopping down on her bed, the journal held close to her chest. She really wanted to stay with Martha and investigate the green light, but she couldn't resist going with John. _He wasn't the Doctor_, she kept reminding herself.

Well beings as she was already here, maybe she could finally get some sleep. That's what she's needed for a while.

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Martha figured that Rose would go with John not only because the matron was there and she had been fawning over him, but because…well, she wanted to keep a close eye on him to see if he spilled anything else out about his dreams or anything relevant to the Doctor.

Once they left, she took the time to investigate the mysterious green light that streaked the sky. "Jenny, where was that?" She asked the maid. "On the horizon, where the light was headed."

"That's by Cooper's Field," Jenny answered. Without hesitation, Martha ran towards the direction of the light, hearing the other woman call out behind her. "You can't just run off! It's dark, you'll break a leg!"

Barely registering the woman following her, Martha ran across the field until she ran out of breath. All she found was a wide open field and no sign of anything odd.

"There you are," Jenny panted out as she caught up. "Nothing there, I told you so."

"And that's Cooper's Field?" Martha asked.

"As far as the eye can see, and no falling star. Now come on, I'm frozen to the bone, let's go. As your Mr. Smith says, 'Nothing to see'." The maid walked away, but Martha didn't follow right away as she gazed up at the sky and over the field one more time. If it was the Family, then they had to be ready.

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Unsurprisingly sleep wasn't expected as Rose hadn't been able to rest, which was the same occurrence almost every night for the last two months. It's hard to rest peacefully without the calming hums from the TARDIS. How she missed both Her and the Doctor, and couldn't wait for this last month to pass.

She was able to scan through John's journal and was amazed at how talented he was. The sketches were clear and detailed pretty accurately from coming out of remembrance of dreams. Daleks, Cybermen, and Slitheen were amongst the many creatures drawn out, some of which she had never seen before. That wasn't all. He's mentioned her name countless times, describing how brilliant she was, as well as stubborn at times, but his admiration was clear.

But what shocked her was that she hadn't come across any portrait of herself like Martha had mentioned, only words. Maybe he kept it separately? Not that it mattered since this man wasn't the Doctor, but she couldn't help but wonder what became of it.

When morning came, she left the library during a free period and headed out to the hut located not that far behind the school. Stepping inside, she was met with the beautiful ship that was her home. Every so often she'd pay a short visit away from anyone's attention to check on the TARDIS. She walked in, admiring the sound of the familiar creaking of the door as she looked around the console room.

It was dark and gloomy with the faintest reassuring hum of welcoming that She would always send. Every time she came in here all she could see was the painful image of the Doctor writhing and screaming in agony during the process of changing into a human. She could still feel the tears burning the backs of her eyes and ache in her heart from recalling the unpleasant scene.

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

_"But…hold on, if you're going to rewrite every single cell…isn't it going to hurt?" Martha asked._

_The Doctor raised his eyebrows and nodded. "Oh, yeah. It hurts."_

_"So…how long are you going to…not be you?"_

_"Three months should do it," he said. "They're like mayflies. Within three months, they'll be dead, and I can come back." Once the machine was prepared for the process, he turned back to them. "Right. Guess I'll see you in three months." He went over to Martha and gave her a hug. "Take care, Martha. Thank you."_

_When he turned to Rose, he placed a hand on the side of her face, causing her to shiver inside. "I'll see you soon," he said softly._

_"Not if I see you first," she told him before pulling him in a tight hug, not wanting him to let go. She leaned up and kissed his cheek. How she missed their warm embraces._

_He placed a soft kiss of his own to her temple. "Thank you," he whispered. "Remember to keep the watch with you."_

_"I will."_

_Pulling back, the Doctor inhaled a shuddering breath as he sat down on the jump seat and fitted the Arch on his head and flitted his eyes between the girls. "You two should leave the room," he told them. "I have a feeling this won't be pretty."_

_Rose shook her head. "I'm not leaving you," she said firmly._

_Martha stood beside her. "Me neither."_

_ "All right, but whatever you do, do_ not_ stop the process once it's started," he informed. "And don't come into contact with me immediately after. My body'll perform its own actions on its own accord, so just let me go, got it?"_

_Both women nodded as Rose tried her best to calm her stomach down from its twisted state. He pressed his lips together and moved a finger to the side over a button. "Here we go. Allons-y." With that he sucked in a breath then pressed the button, setting on the machine…and causing Rose's chest to ache._

/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/-/

She closed her eyes as she tried to block out the heart wrenching images and cries of pain that escaped from the Doctor, but to avail, they still rang in her ears. Patting the time rotor she smiled sadly up at Her. "Hey, Old Girl," she said softly.

Her response was weak, which was a given as She was put on emergency power to hide away. No doubt She couldn't wait for this whole thing to be done and over with too. It's been a while since She's been in a cheery mood, what with the relationship issues between the Doctor and herself.

Keeping her hand on the rotor, Rose reached in her pocket and pulled out the fob watch, tracing her thumb over the Gallifreyan script. Another hum filled her ears as She sensed the Doctor's essence in the object.

"I miss him, too," Rose said as she put it away.

She heard the door creak behind her and turned to Martha. "Hello," she said, both to her and the TARDIS.

"Hey. Sorry I left you last night."

"It's okay," she waved with her hand. "There wasn't anything around anyway."

"Nothing with the green light?" Rose asked.

Martha shook her head as she came around the console "Nothing at all. Jenny seemed to handle it all pretty well, but no, there wasn't anything. D'you think it was the Family?"

Rose shrugged. "Dunno." She eyed the monitor and saw the many sticky notes with Gallifreyan symbols on them. _Why can't he write everything in English?_ "Maybe the Doctor left us something to help."

Turning the monitor on, a recording started. The Doctor came on-screen and sat on the jump seat.

_"This working?"_ He tapped the screen a few times before continuing. _"Girls, before I change, here's a list of instructions for when I'm human. One: don't let me hurt anyone. We can't have that, but you know what humans are like. Two: don't worry about the TARDIS. I'll put it on emergency power so they can't detect it. Just…let it hide away. Four-"_ he stopped and looked away. "_No…wait a minute,"_ he looked back at the screen. _"Three: no getting involved in big historical events. Four: you two. Don't let me abandon either of you. And fi-"_

Martha reached over and pressed a button to fast forward the recording while Rose snorted. Of course the Doctor would ramble on with his many protocols.

"I'm bettin' he even mentioned something about pears," Rose said lightly.

"What?" Martha asked.

"'S nothing. Pears are like poison to him."

"Why, are they deadly to Time Lords?"

"No, he just hates them," Rose responded. "They're actually forbidden from being onboard."

Martha snorted. "Oh, good. 'Cause I've been giving him fruits with his breakfast, and pears were included a few times."

"Well, if we're lucky, he hasn't eaten any. He'll never forgive us for that."

Martha chuckled before turning serious again. "But there was a meteor - a shooting star. What are we supposed to do then?" She pushed play and the recording continued.

_"And twenty-three: if anything goes wrong…if they find us…then you know what to do. Open the watch. Everything I am is kept safe in there."_ His eyes softened for a moment. _"I'm trusting you to keep it, Rose. Now, I've put a perception filter on it so the human me won't think anything of it. To him, it's just a watch that the nice blonde woman has. But don't open it unless you have to, because once it's open, then the Family will be able to find me._

_"And Rose…" _His eyes softened as if he were looking directly at her. _"Remember your bracelet. If you open the watch and they come, don't worry. I've maximized the settings, so they shouldn't be able to locate you. __Just…be careful. It's all down to you, girls. Your choice."_ He went off screen for a second before sitting back down. _"Oh, and…thank you both,_" he added with a small smile as the recording ended, freezing on his face.

Rose couldn't help but smile sadly at the image. "I wish you'd come back," she said quietly.

Martha placed a hand on her arm. "I know. Me too."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Both women made their way back inside the school - Martha returning to her maid duties and Rose to her desk at the library.

Upon entering she noticed a messy pile of books thrown carelessly on the main desk. She rolled her eyes and shook her head. _These boys._ Striding over she gathered most of the books in her arms before turning to return them to their places on the shelves…and accidentally bumping into one of the boys, causing all of the books to fall to the floor.

"Oh! Tim, I'm sorry," Rose apologized as she bent down to retrieve the books. "I didn't know you were behind me."

"Sorry, Miss Tyler, that was my fault," Tim said, helping her pick up the books. "I should be more careful."

Standing back up, Rose smoothed out her skirt before gathering all of the books in her arms. "'S alright. No harm done, it was an accident. Did you need anything?"

The boy nodded. "Yes, ma'am." He pulled out a folded piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to her. "Mr. Smith gave me the name of a book that I have to collect."

Taking the paper, Rose unfolded it and read the title out loud. "'_The Definitive Account of Mafeking_' by Aitchison-Price. Well, that sounds cheery, eh?" she said with a chuckle, making the boy smile. "I'll go check for you," she said as she walked to the back of the library.

_"Time Lord…hide yourself."_

Tim looked around in confusion as a whisper suddenly appeared in the room.

_"The time is coming…"_

It sounded familiar, like…Mr. Smith. Trying to find its source, he saw an old fob watch laying on the ground by the main desk. Drawing himself towards it, Tim picked it up. Opening the watch, a golden light poured out and showed a reel of images - one of which appeared to be a glowing Miss Tyler surrounded by…wolves?

_"Bad Wolf…stay safe."_

Before he could decipher their shapes, Tim heard the librarian coming and impulsively stuffed it in his pocket.

"That man might as well take the entire library," she said with a laugh. She made it back over to the desk and noticed his fidgeting. "Everything all right, Tim?"

He nodded and swallowed. "Yes, ma'am."

She accepted his response and continued to speak. "Okay, just making sure. One of the boys had a cold, so you'll have to be aware of your surroundings. And you know you can tell me anything if something's bothering you."

"Nothing's wrong, I'm fine."

Miss Tyler gave a small smile. "Good. Now about that book - it seems that Mr. Smith checked that one out himself. He has a habit of collecting near the entire library." Tim nodded but didn't respond, keeping his lips pressed together. A crease formed on her brows as she placed a hand on his shoulder. "Tim? You sure you're feeling okay?"

At contact he saw a vision come to him, showing a figure that appeared to be Miss Tyler bathed in a golden light and shining like the Sun.

"Tim?"

Shaking his head, Tim nodded. "Pardon my ignorance, ma'am. I'm just feeling a little tired."

The librarian smiled. "It's fine, Tim. You're a bright young man, so that's understandable since your mind's always working." Tim smiled back at her. "Now, you'll have to retrieve the book from Mr. Smith, I'm afraid."

"Thank you, ma'am," he said with respect as he hurried out of the room, the watch in his pocket continuing to whisper. What was this about?

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

As he arranged his books on the back shelves of his study, John couldn't fathom exactly how disorganized he really was. It's no wonder he had misplaced his journal yesterday. At least he knew where it was now and need not worry about it.

He wondered if Miss Tyler had a chance to look inside of it yet. She seemed highly interested in reading about his wild fantasies that he just had to let her borrow it last night. Shamefully he had torn out some of the more…personal adventures such as the Christmas Land scene. As pleased as he was that she wanted to scan through it, he didn't wish to overwhelm her with the few dreams he's had with them…together.

Not to mention he had wanted to create a better portrait of her, one that came from the source itself and not just from memory - which seemed pretty accurate if he said so himself.

He couldn't get the image of her appearance last night out of his mind; her flushed cheeks from the bone-chilling cold night air, her eyes twinkling like the stars in the sky as the moonlight shone on her face, her lips becoming a darker tint of pink with every second-

A knock at the door pulled him from his musings as he placed the last book in its appropriate section before moving to the door, opening it to find Timothy Latimer waiting.

"Good lad, what can I do for you?" John asked.

"You told me to collect that book, sir," Timothy answered.

John arched an eyebrow at the boy. "I did, which was why I told you to collect it from the library."

"I just came from there. Miss Tyler said that you checked it out yourself."

"Have I? It seemed to slip my mind." He gestured for the boy to enter. "Come in." Moving to his desk, John fixed up a stack of papers. "Yes! '_The Definitive Account of Mafeking_' by Aitchison-Price, where did I put it?" He glanced up at Tim with an arched eyebrow. "As you're here, I've been meaning to have a little word - your marks aren't quite good enough."

"I'm top ten in my class, sir," Tim informed him.

"Now, be honest, Timothy, you should be the _very_ top. You're a clever boy, but you seem to be hiding it." He moved over to his book shelves. "Where is that book…? And I know why," he called out. "Keeping your head low avoids the mockery of your classmates. But no man should hide himself, don't you think?"

Mr. Smith continued rambling on, but Tim didn't register his words as the strange whispers came back. "Yes, sir…" he said distractedly as the professor continued his lecture.

Reaching in his pocket, Tim pulled out the watch as the whispers became louder.

_"Time Lord…hide yourself…"_ He looked up to see that Mr. Smith hadn't heard them. Now that he kept hearing them himself, Tim swore that the voice sounded like that of his teacher's. _"The secret lies within…"_

Flipping it open again, the golden light shone out once more._ "I'm trapped…"_ the voice continued. _"Caged inside the cogs.…kept in the dark, but waiting…"_

Tim squinted his eyes_. What was this?_

With his peripheral vision, Tim noticed Mr. Smith making his way from his bookshelves and quickly snapped the watch shut before pocketing it.

"Fascinating details about the siege," Mr. Smith said, holding the book in his hand. "Really quite remarkable…" He eyed Tim oddly. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, sir," he said automatically. "Fine, sir."

Mr. Smith arched a brow and studied him. "Right then. Good." He held out the book as he added with encouragement. "And remember: use that brain of yours!"

Tim placed a hand on the book to take it, but once he made contact, flashes of images came to his vision. This time he was able to make out their shapes - it was Mr. Smith, but he was very different. He was dressed in a pinstriped suit, his face full of intensity and something…more, as he wielded a silver device with a glowing blue tip.

_"Power of a Time Lord."_

Blinking his eyes the images faded as he shook inside from the overwhelming reels. "You're really not looking yourself, old chap," Mr. Smith commented. "Anything bothering you, or…?"

"No, sir," Tim said shaking his head. "Thank you, sir." Glancing up at his teacher, all he could see was the face of the man from the watch.

Taking the book he hurried out of the room and closed the door behind him. Running up the flight of stairs he stepped into an empty dormitory. Sitting on the bed, he tried to calm his beating heart before pulling out the watch.

_"Keep hidden…"_

Taking another deep breath, Tim hesitated for a moment to prepare himself for the flash of images to pour out from the watch. Popping it open, he gasped as he saw various inhuman creatures that could have been seen in nightmares and stories fill his vision, followed by the man in pinstripes.

Closing the watch, he blinked a few times as the images faded once again. Tim had no idea what power this watch contained or what any of those visions meant, but all he knew was there was more to Mr. Smith than meets the eye.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx **

**Response to _random fangirl:_ Sorry about that heartsbreak from a few chapters back lol Thank you so much! You're really too kind! Much love! *hugs* ;D**


	33. Human Nature Part 3

**A/N: *Important note* Human Nature will be in _four_ parts.**

**This chapter was originally longer, but since I'm working on the Family of Blood chapters I've split it up. So now there will be one other part to Human Nature after this. It'll be shorter than most of the others, but it still goes with this episode.**

**As always, much love to all of the lovely viewers! I adore every one of you ;) If you need me I'll just be over here silently crying over the end of Series 2 of Broadchurch. Well, I guess I could re-watch it when it comes on BBC America in March - and hurt myself again. Yeah, I'll do just that. On the bright side, there _will_ be a third series. Too bad I'm impatient. O_O**

**Okay, I'll shut up now.**

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

_**Chapter 33: Human Nature Part 3**_

Making her way out of the library, Rose was in the mood for some more fresh air. Being cooped up in a stuffy library can start to get on someone's nerves, and as she's been doing it for two months it's a necessity to breathe in more refreshing air instead of mustiness.

Once she entered the halls, she ran into Headmaster Rocastle. "Good day, sir," she greeted.

Rocastle nodded once. "And to you, Miss Tyler. Headed somewhere?"

"Oh, I was just hoping to get some fresh air for a little bit, 's all."

"Quite. As it turns out, I was planning the same thing," he answered. "One of the classes are performing their drills, and I was going to observe them. Care to join me?"

Rose shrugged. "Sure."

As they made their way outside, she was curious to know exactly what type of drills they were partaking in. Being in the library day in and day out meant she was somewhat unaware of the curriculum and activities the boys followed. But once they stepped off of the patio at the back of the schools, she winced at the sound of gunfire.

Across the wide range of grassy fields was the group of boys wielding various weapons - more specifically guns as they were shooting at prepared targets. The closer they got to the class, she inwardly cringed when she noticed that it was John's class.

_Definitely not the Doctor_, she continuously thought. If it were him, he wouldn't even stand within a millimeter of the weaponry, as he opposed such vial things. John was encouraging the boys when he turned and noticed them approaching.

"Cease fire!" Rocastle commanded. "We have a lady present." The boys immediately obeyed and lowered their guns.

John's face seemed to light up a little once he saw Rose. "Good day to you, Headmaster, Miss Tyler," he greeted.

Rose smiled at him, still feeling uncomfortable about this lesson. These were boys, and they were holding rifles. It was wrong.

"Your crew's on fine form today, Mr. Smith," Rocastle commented.

"Excuse me, Headmaster," one of the boys - Hutchinson - cut in. "We could do a lot better. Latimer is being deliberately shoddy."

"I'm trying my best," Tim defended.

"You need to be better than the _best_," Rocastle told. "Those are tribesmen from the dark continent."

"That's exactly the problem, sir. They only have spears."

"Oh, dear me. Latimer takes it upon himself to make us realize how wrong we all are," Rocastle said with a sigh. "I hope, Latimer, that one day you may have a just and proper war in which to prove yourself. Now, resume firing."

_Oh, that was just so rude._ No, not even that - it was immoral to wish that upon an innocent _child_. Wincing at the rapid firing, Rose noticed Tim appearing to be distracted. His face turned a paler shade as if he was haunted by something. Earlier when she saw him the poor boy looked to be feeling unwell. No doubt this 'training' was making him even more uncomfortable. It was like he was staring into space.

The firing abruptly ended after a moment. "There's a stoppage, immediate action," Hutchinson said, turning to the headmaster. "Didn't I tell you, sir? This stupid boy is useless! Permission to give Latimer a beating, sir?"

Rocastle turned to John. "It's your class, Mr. Smith."

_Oh, he couldn't possibly allow-_

"Permission granted," John said half-heartedly.

_What!?_

Acting out of impulse, Rose stepped forward angrily just as Hutchinson grabbed Tim by the collar.

"Don't you lay a finger on him," she ordered at Hutchinson, seeing him flinch before releasing the boy. She turned to John. "You can't allow that, he's just a boy! This entire drill is horrid!" She went up to the headmaster. "Wishing war on innocent young men and then saying such punishment is allowed? How can you say that like it's _nothing_? Do you even understand what kind of trauma and pain one can get from the effects of war? I _do_, and it still hurts me every once in a while. How do you think these boys would feel?"

She turned back to John. "There are other means of discipline, but to give a boy a gun to prepare for war is just wrong. If one is trying as best as they could, you encourage them. But the lesson here isn't one worth learning."

John stared at her stunned by her rant, his lips quivering as he tried to speak. "Permission denied," he said with a hard voice.

"But sir-" Hutchinson began to protest.

"Timothy, you will work to improve your concentration so that if a day should come and a war will commence-" he looked over at Rocastle. "-and _not_ be wished upon due to misdirection, you will be prepared."

The headmaster raised his brows. "Mr. Smith, if one-"

"No," Rose cut in, stepping over to Tim and grabbing his arm gently. "There are better methods of punishment, one's that don't involve bullying. Come on, Tim, you can help me in the library." Just as she made a move to leave, she turned and saw Baines staring at her with a strange expression on his face and sniffing. "Problem?"

"I…no, ma'am, nothing at all," he answered, walking away.

_Okay, that was odd._ Giving John a pointed look, she trudged back to the school with Tim. "Thank you, Miss Tyler," the boy said gratefully.

"It's no trouble, Tim," she said. "I understand your discomfort. Feeling better?"

"At the moment," he said with a small chuckle.

Rose smiled at the boy, ignoring the slight twitch she felt inside.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Once Miss Tyler left with Timothy, John couldn't help but respect the woman even more. He himself despised teaching young boys to ready themselves for war, it was a vial tactic. Problem was that it was supposed to happen - but there were other means of discipline.

He never expected such an outburst from her, although he should have known better since the subject was infuriating and horrid. What he granted was basically another student to bully and abuse another. It was wrong.

Rocastle had a cross expression. "Mr. Smith, you _do_ have that cane for a reason," he said.

"And a horrid one it is, sir," John said, evenly. "These boys don't need to be beaten for manners and discipline. Hard work, yes. A firm talking to, yes. But violence will only result in _violence_. We are training these boys to be respectable adults. We do not beat adults, therefore we should not beat children."

The headmaster studied him in thought. "I do not entirely agree, but I see merit in your opinion, Mr. Smith."

John nodded, thankful that his reasoning was acceptable. "Thank you, sir."

As the headmaster left, he couldn't stop but think about Rose's reaction to the situation. She probably resented him because he was a part of these teachings, but it wasn't by his doing. He was assigned to this job and had to do it, as much as he disliked these tactics.

The sound of someone sniffing beside him prompted him to turn to its source, finding Jeremy Baines looking at him oddly. "Anything the matter, Baines?"

"I thought…" the boy said, trailing off before adding. "No, sir, nothing, sir." Without another word, he walked back over to the class.

Apparently these boys were under too much pressure.

Ending his class immediately, he went back inside of the school in hopes that Rose would forgive him for granting such a strict punishment. Making his way to the library he found her directing Timothy to place books in their labeled sections. Doing as told, the boy arranged them in the right spots.

John stood by the main desk awaiting her return. When she turned around and noticed his presence, she turned back and began to walk to the other side of the room. Sighing, he went over to her as she arranged some of her own.

"Rose, about what happened back there-"

"You gave a boy permission to beat another all because he was uncomfortable about wielding a gun," she said, her focus on her activity.

"Yes, but I really didn't want to. It was wrong of me," he told her. "I was unaware of his discomfort-"

She whipped around to face him. "How can that escape your attention? You think all of those boys _enjoy_ being trained like soldiers?"

He shook his head. "Not in the least, as I'm am as much uncomfortable about the teachings as well."

Rose snorted. "Yeah, you _really_ showed that when you answered right away and almost left that poor boy to be scarred both emotionally and physically." She turned and resumed her work.

"They _do_ need discipline on occasion, but I admit that it was wrong. Such a thing should not be permissible. I myself have a distaste for weaponry. Those boys are under so much pressure from the other strict teachers in this school that I just…" he trailed off. "Schoolboys shouldn't be beaten for not following directions, especially when it comes to militant forces. Discipline comes in many forms, and physical abuse should not be one of them."

Stopping what she was doing, Rose turned back to him with an arched eyebrow. "You're really trying to redeem yourself," she commented.

John nodded. "I stand by it. It was an act of impotence, and it was the wrong way to handle it. And I am really very sorry about that…and your losses."

"I suppose I could forgive you…" she said, placing a finger on her chin with a thoughtful expression. "Fine then. You're forgiven."

"I'm glad," he replied with a soft smile. "Um…would you care to accompany me to a walk? That is…if you're not-"

"Sure," Rose responded.

He nodded. "Brilliant."

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Having known each other for two months, John had been meaning to spend some more alone time with Rose and get to know her a little better. After encountering every day, some friendly conversing with each other would be nice.

Changing out of his professor uniform, he threw on his coat and hat as he led Rose through the village for a calm stroll.

"How could the school allow such discipline on boys?" she asked, closing her coat more as a chilling breeze blew past them.

"It's mandatory," John answered glumly. "The staff believe in being the absolute best when it comes to military procedures and extensive knowledge. I can't help but feel guilty for following such rules that allow classmates to assault others when struggling."

Rose patted his arm. "You're a good man, John. I'm sure you're not the only one that feels that way."

"Of course I'm not, there's you," he pointed out. "And might I add that the headmaster was more than disgruntled when we deceived him."

"Oh, well…" she said with a smile, causing him to form one of his own. "I haven't disgraced you, have I?"

"Not likely. _Humiliated_ maybe for a moment as you defied the authority in front of the boys and the headmaster…" he arched an eyebrow at her. "But you had every right to be upset."

"Not just for all of them, but Tim has been going through some troubles with some of the other boys," she told him. "He comes in the library a lot and tells me what they do to him sometimes."

John studied her. She was more than just a librarian, she cared about these boys. Her compassion for others was a strong quality of hers. "I had no idea," he admitted. "He's a sharp, young man, and one of the best in his class. Others may see that as a weakness. I sensed something was bothering him, but I wish he had told me."

"He barely wanted to talk to _me_ at first," Rose said. "But I eventually got him to spill it out. Now he feels more confident."

He smiled proudly at her. "Rose Tyler, a woman of great empathy."

Rose laughed again and it was the most beautiful sound and sight he had ever heard and seen. He couldn't wrap his head around why he felt so…comfortable with her, almost like he could tell her just about anything and everything.

"I forgot to mention that I had a chance to look through your journal," Rose said as they continued walking.

"Have you?"

She nodded. "Your sketches are beautiful and creative, much like your stories. You've got a magnificent imagination!" she said genuinely.

John couldn't stop the wide smile spreading on his face. "I'm glad you enjoyed them." He wanted to mention that he tore out a couple of pages as he was somewhat bashful to show them to her, but held it back.

He noticed she reached in her coat and pulled out his journal, handing it over to him. "Would you want it back now?"

"Oh, no, no, you don't have to," he said, placing a hand between them and pushing his journal back. "I wouldn't mind if you held onto it for a little longer."

"What if inspiration strikes and you don't have your book?"

He hummed. "Good point. But really, you can keep it for now."

Rose nodded and put it back in her pocket. "Still though, the pushing of war tactics seems a bit much. They're _boys_. When they go to war, they're gonna be so afraid. No one can really prepare themselves for that."

"Well…Great Britain's at peace," John said with a small smile. "Long may it reign."

"In your journal - in one of your stories, you wrote about next year. 1914."

He shook his head and smiled softly. "That was just a dream."

_Oh, if only you knew how real it was,_ Rose thought to herself. "But all those images of mud and wire," she said. "You spoke of a shadow - a shadow falling across the entire world."

"Well, then we can be thankful it's not true," he told her, the smile still on his face. "And I'll admit mankind doesn't need warfare and bloodshed to prove itself. Everyday life can provide honor and valor and…let's hope that from now on this-this country can…" Rose looked at him and frowned as he drew his words out slowly. "Can find its heroes in smaller places…in the most…ordinary…"

Something was distracting him. Following his gaze, she noticed what he was staring at - a group of men struggling to lift a piano on a rope that was beginning to fray with a woman pushing a baby carriage and getting dangerously close to it. Rose's breath hitched.

"…of deeds!" John finished before instinctively seeking to save the woman.

He snatched a cricket ball from a young boy nearby and tossed it. With impossible accuracy, it connected with a bundle of poles underneath a scaffold, causing them to fall. They landed on a plank of wood, making it become a catapult as a brick on the end flew in the air and hit a milk churn. It rolled in the path of the woman, causing her to shout, and stopped at the carriage's wheels…just as the piano crashed onto the ground in the spot where they would have been. The baby started to cry, but thankfully no one sustained an injury.

Rose gaped at the chain of events that just happened in what was probably no more than eight seconds. That was just…incredible. Turning to John, she noted now equally stunned he was by his actions.

"Lucky…" he breathed out, still taking in the scene.

"_Luck_?" Rose scoffed with a smile. "That was no luck, that was…_brilliance_!"_ That was her Doctor,_ she thought to herself.

His heart was racing as the adrenaline was still pumping through him. Blinking out of his trance, John turned to her and asked in a rush, "Rose Tyler, would you like to attend the village dance this evening with me?"

A warm smile spread on her face as she looped her arm in his. "I'd love to."

They began to make their way back to the school, crossing over the empty fields talking and laughing away. "You can draw fantastic creatures, create amazing stories, and apparently very skilled with a cricket ball," Rose commented.

John laughed. "Well, I _was_ fond of the sport when I was younger. Guess I still have it in me."

"A man of many talents, eh?"

"That I am," he said warmly. "Never knew."

It astounded Rose how much of the Doctor's traits John had inherited. At times it seemed as if he was back to being himself, and it felt…natural.

"That scarecrow's all skewed," he said, bringing her attention. He released her arm as he crossed over to a lone scarecrow in the middle of the area with its arms down. He brought them up and began tying them back on the frame.

"I've been meaning to ask you," Rose spoke as she watched him work. "Where did you learn to draw?"

"Gallifrey," he answered.

_Uh, oh. He's leaking through._ Swallowing hard, she warily asked, "Is that in…Ireland?"

Stopping his work, he looked up with an uncertain look. "Yes, it must be, yes…"

"You're…Irish?"

"Not at all, no," he clarified. "My father Sidney was a watchmaker from Nottingham and my mother Verity was a school teacher."

"Interesting."

"How about you, Rose?" he asked, still tying the scarecrow.

Licking her lips, she tried to think of a response. "Well…I'm not Irish either," she started, earning a chuckle from him. "I've been…moving around. I lost my father when I was young, and just recently lost my mother after…the war," she said quietly.

He looked up, his face full of sympathy. "I'm so sorry." Rose nodded before he stepped back from the scarecrow to study his work. "Well, my work is done," he turned to her. "What do you think?"

"Masterpiece," she replied with a smile, but feeling a slight twitchy feeling as she eyed it.

John laughed lightly as he made his way back over to her. "All sorts of skills today!"

"You're just full of surprises," Rose commented.

"Would you mind stopping by my study when we get back at the school?" he asked.

"Sure," she answered. "What for?"

He smiled warmly. "I believe inspiration has struck me."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Rose sat on the sofa in John's study, upright and still as John sat on the other side of his room by his table with his journal in hand as he sketched.

When they first arrived, he pulled out a few stray papers from his shelves and handed them to her, causing her to inwardly gasp and warm her heart. They were sketches of her. He had drawn portraits of her; one with her smiling widely, one with her standing in front of what seemed to be a glow behind her, one with her dressed in the gown he adored when they met Dickens, and so many others - all just from memory.

Sheepishly as he was, he admitted that he tore them out of his journal saying he thought they weren't good enough for her to see, and that he was hoping she would let him create one on the spot. Hiding the blush that threatened to show, she allowed him to do just that.

Now, she remained in her upright position and watched him using his artistic skills. His brows were furrowed in concentration as he moved his pencil in quick and slow stokes followed by blending in the lights and darks with his fingers. Occasionally he glanced up at her as he drew, his gaze causing her to heat up. Surely he noticed the pink shade creeping on her cheeks, and she could see a faint smirk appear on his face as he continued his work.

_Even as a human, he was cheeky._

After a few more moments, John blended in the shading one last time before stopping completely, his eyes flitting between the sketch and herself.

"Can I see?" Rose asked with a smile.

Lowering the book, he stood from his seat to sit beside her on the sofa, holding it out for her to see. The portrait was…beautiful - like it was crafted by a professional. She was seated in her stance wearing her blouse with her hair up in the bun, some of her strands hanging loose from it and falling down the sides of her face. A glimmer of light was twinkling in her eyes and her smile was small and sweet.

"Oh, my God," she breathed out. "Do I really _look_ like that?" She flipped to the next pages and laughed when she saw the sketch of the Slitheen. "Are you sure that's not me?" she said jokingly with a chuckle, pointing at it.

Glancing over at him, she didn't see him laugh. Instead, he smiled softly at her with his equally soft eyes. Leaning his arm on the back of the sofa, he brought his other hand over and flipped the pages back to the sketch of herself.

"Most definitely this page," he said.

Rose chuckled again. "You've made me far too beautiful."

"Well, that's how I see you," he told her sincerely.

Though she wasn't looking directly at him, she felt his eyes boreing onto the side of her face, causing her breath to hitch. Strange as she felt, she's been on the receiving end of his admiring gazes, but that was when he was the Doctor. This wasn't the Doctor, this was _John Smith._

"You don't believe me," John said.

Blinking she shook her head and turned to him, becoming aware of their close proximity. "No, I mean…is this how you really see me?"

She melted inside when his smile softened even more. "Well, mostly." He looked back down at his sketch, and she followed suit. "But no matter how many times I try, I don't think I'll ever do justice to its actual beauty."

_Oh, God._

Rose's stomach was battleground and she held her breath once he reached up and intimately brushed one of her stray locks behind her ear then slowly trailed the backs of two fingers down her cheek as he lowered his hand.

This was wrong. He wasn't the Doctor. Well, he _was_, but…he wasn't _himself_. This was a whole other person that just had the same infatuation. But no matter how hard she tried she couldn't calm her nerves.

Hesitantly, he tilted his head down until he was a breath away from her face. Before she knew it, he closed what little space was left and pressed his warm lips softly to hers. Her mind was screaming at her - one part telling her to recoil, and the other telling her to reciprocate.

Not even having a chance to make up her mind, as soon as he initiated it, he pulled back only a fraction, his eyes still fixed on her lips. Visibly swallowing, he tried to form a response, but only came out with a quiet voice. "I've never, um…" When he glanced up at her she saw some slight vulnerability.

She shouldn't be doing this. She _really_ shouldn't be doing this. Everything inside of her was conflicting with this whole situation. She was staring in the eyes of a stranger who was also the man she loves with all of her heart. But…they were the _same_.

He noticed her slight uneasiness and began to stammer, averting his gaze. "I-I'm sorry," he apologized. "I-I…don't know…that was…I just…um…"

As much as she was inwardly kicking herself, she found herself gravitating towards him like she usually would and silenced him with a kiss of her own. He seemed shocked for a moment until he responded willingly placing his hand delicately on her cheek, making this second kiss a slower and a more…loving one.

For a moment she saw the Doctor leaking out at full force, felt like it was him and not John Smith, which still sounded completely barmy to her, but that's just what it was. She's lived through two months without him around as well as two weeks prior to hiding when they distanced themselves from each other. Wrong as this felt, she's longed to feel his lips back against hers, and that felt…right. Selfish as it was, it was a need at this point.

How ever long it lasted, it was interrupted shortly when the sound of approaching footsteps came to their attention. John dropped his hand from her face and broke away with an irritated noise. "Martha, what have I told you about entering unannounced?" he snapped. Rose turned and saw Martha staring at them blankly before running out of the room. "I'm sorry about that," he said.

"You didn't have to snap at her like that," she told him.

He shook his head. "Still…she knows better."

Clearing her throat she closed his journal. "I should…get ready for tonight."

"Oh…of course."

"Thank you for lending me your journal," Rose said.

John nodded. "It's no trouble."

Rose gave him a quick peck on the cheek before standing up and heading out of his study.

Once she made it to her own room, she sat on the bed with her face buried in her hands, fighting back on the tears burning in her eyes. Her stomach was spinning with confusion. She couldn't stop herself. She lowered one of her hands and placed two fingers over her lips, still feeling his own lingering upon hers.

Was she taking advantage of him since she hadn't been so close with him in so long? Well, not him…it's been so long since she and the Doctor had went back to their closeness. Right before he changed into a human, they both made physical contact with each other which sent shivers through them both. She hated this isolation, hiding away from home. All she wanted was the Doctor back, but what if he never forgave her for falling in love with his human form?

No. She loved the Doctor as he was. John Smith is fictional. He's not real. Okay, technically he _was_, but…

Her head began to hurt as she continued to wrap her head around all of this. For two months she's been struggling to understand everything. This last month had better fly by, but she had a feeling it was going to drag.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**Freak out in next chapter.**


	34. Human Nature Part 4

**A/N: Okay, now this was all originally in the previous chapter, but I decided to split it in two. Truthfully, I cut it out cause I'm working on the Family of Blood chapters, and I'm slightly procrastinating. Yikes. But yeah, I know you're probably waiting impatiently for some action, so hopefully you'll enjoy this. **

**Much love to all of the lovely viewers! I adore every one of you ;)**

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

_**Chapter 34: Human Nature Part 4**_

It was something expected and yet Martha was still a little shocked. She hadn't meant to barge into John's room, but she's been noticing some people acting strange in the halls lately and wanted to check in on him - and was relieved to find him perfectly fine as he was sitting on the sofa sharing a passionate snog with Rose.

While she couldn't help but feel a little happy albeit a little embarrassed to witness such a scene that hasn't happened in over two months, it mainly felt wrong. Surely Rose was the same way. Between the both of them, she had to be the one with the most differing feelings when encountering the Doctor - no, _John._

Though they fast forwarded through his instructional recording back on the TARDIS, she was certain that allowing his human self to fall in love was most likely _not_ on his list. But what if he _did_ know it would happen knowing Rose would be around him?

It was only a matter of time until Rose gave in to old habits even though this really wasn't the man she loved and they still had some issues to settle in their actual relationship in their normal lives. Before any of this, Martha had a small - and all too short - private talk with the Doctor, and he had made slight implications that he wanted to bond with Rose - basically the Time Lord equivalent of _marriage._ How was any of that going to come to fruition at the end of this?

_One more month._ When this whole thing is done and over with, those two had better fix whatever's breaking them inside.

Martha passed by the library only to find that Rose was not there. No surprise. Knowing her, she must have realized how uncomfortable the scene was and left to her own study. Going down the halls, she made it to her room and sure enough, Rose was sitting on her bed and peering out of the window.

"You okay?" Martha asked, walking over to her.

"I…I shouldn't have done that," she said quietly, chewing on her thumbnail.

"Maybe not, but…Rose, you don't have to get upset about it."

"How can I not?" she retorted.

"I understand how you're feeling," Martha said calmly. "You miss him so much that you wanna spend as much time with him as possible. But…you can't get too attached to him."

Rose turned to face her. "I'm trying not to, but it's hard. It's still him deep down, I saw it - I _felt_ it. 'S just…" She trailed off with a shake of her head. "I don't know what I'm supposed to be feeling. I just want him back. I miss _him…_I_ need_ him."

Coming to sit beside her, Martha placed an arm around her friend's shoulders comfortingly. "I know," she said softly. "Pretty soon this'll all be over, and then you two can work things out."

Rose let out a sigh before nodding. "I have to get ready for tonight. He's asked me to the dance - _properly_ asked me."

Martha smiled. "Okay. Have a great time," she gave her a hug. "And keep a close eye on him."

"Definitely."

Once Martha left the room to return to her duties, she heard Rose let out another sigh from behind. She really felt sympathy for both of them right now just as much as she always has back on the TARDIS. If Rose was getting too close to John, the time when he would have to change back to the Doctor would be challenging for them - especially John.

Still, she had faith that everything would be fine. Just one month left.

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A short while later, Rose finished getting ready for the dance. Instead of going through the trouble of figuring out what to wear, once again the TARDIS was a step ahead and prepared her with a dress neatly folded at the bottom of her bag.

It was a loose high-waisted and short-sleeved cut dress in the shade of, not surprisingly, TARDIS blue that ended at her ankles decorated with beads, embroidery, and other basic embellishments. Completing the look, she was prepared with a white wrap. She left her skirt on underneath the dress so she could have easy access to retrieving the watch if necessary.

Hopefully John won't gape at her like the Doctor would, but of course she had a feeling that it was pointless to even doubt that.

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Standing in front of the small mirror hanging on the wall, John fixed up his bow tie as he readied himself to take Rose to the dance. Formal events like these weren't really his cup of tea, but he supposed he could make an exception for tonight - or any other night for that matter if it meant he would accompany one Miss Rose Tyler.

He could still feel his heart racing from the wondrous, loving moment they had shared earlier. Never did he think she'd respond the way she did, but once she did his stomach swooped. It was something he had never experienced or felt in his life, and it was right, he could tell. Undoubtedly it was better than any fantasy that would pop in his head or write down in his journal.

Off to the side of his desk was one of the papers he took out of his journal - the one from Christmas Land. Taking it in hand, he smiled at the piece. His fingers traced over the sketch of Rose standing in front of the fireplace, a wide smile on her face that lit up the room far more than the fire light did. When he first had the dream he almost felt an overwhelming sense of care but at the same time doubt.

This character that was the Doctor was a lost man, one who was unsure about himself and how he could be with this wonderful woman. John never understood exactly why he was like that - probably because the Doctor was a broken man who hurt a lot of people around him, and he was shamefully doing it to her.

Luckily those were only dreams, and he wasn't the Doctor. He wouldn't hurt Rose. Never. This was no ordinary schoolboy crush anymore - it was love. _True_ love. And he would be delighted to spend the rest of his life with her.

Who would have imagined that this woman, with whom he only knew for only two _months,_ would become the love of his life. He couldn't help but smile to himself at the sudden revelation, but there was no denying her eloquence of body language.

The sound of approaching footsteps entering his room brought him out of his daze. Quickly stuffing the sketch in his jacket pocket, he turned around and froze in his spot when he caught a glimpse of Rose. The dress she wore was a elegant choice that he couldn't help but stare at her. It had to be impossible to contain such beauty.

Rose couldn't help but inwardly blush at the way he was looking at her. It was the exact same look the Doctor would give her that made her feel appreciated.

"Is this…okay?" she asked.

"You look wonderful," he breathed out.

She smiled shyly. "Thank you. You don't look so bad yourself." John ducked his head with a small smile. _Oh, he probably couldn't wait to get on the dance floor, _Rose thought to herself._ Wait a minute…_

"Uh, can you actually dance, John?" she asked. If he inherited some of the Doctor's traits, hopefully his ability to keep rhythm to music was still intact. She really didn't fancy being dropped on the floor if he moved with two left feet.

He put on a thoughtful expression. "Um…I'm not certain…" he answered.

_Oh, if only he knew how skilled he was._ "Is there anything you _are_ certain about?" she said with a laugh.

A small smile spread on his face. He walked over to her with softened eyes and she felt her insides warm up. Human or not, only the Doctor could create such a reaction. "Yes," he said with confidence. "Yes, there is." Without another word he raised a hand to cup her jaw and dipped his head down to kiss her softly.

Once again, Rose couldn't resist as she returned the gesture and reflexively placed her hands on his hips, leaning into his touch. He was only making everything more difficult for her when he gently caressed her upper lip with his tongue and deepened the kiss, pulling her closer to him with an arm around her back. Unable to suppress the soft moan that built up inside of her, one of her arms found their way around his neck and the other around his waist.

She had no idea how she was going to make it through this last month. It was so familiar the way he was right now, but she felt a tad bit of pain knowing that this wasn't the Doctor. Her mind was buzzing mad but by the way he was kissing her, it stopped. If he was going this far, how much further would he go?

And that's when she felt the hand he placed on her back slowly move on its own account to her hip then proceeding to slide further down her thigh, making her breath hitch and bringing her back.

_Yep, that was her cue._

Breaking the kiss after a hum of protest, she caught her breath. "Doc-" _Oops_. Simple mistake. Clearing her throat, she tried again. "John, we've got somewhere to be."

Blinking rapidly he pulled himself away, his ears turning a shade of pink. "Right. Of course." Reaching over behind him he grabbed his coat off the rack and shrugged it on before helping her with her wrap. Handing over her purse, he offered his arm. "Off we go."

She chuckled and looped her arm through his as they made their way out. As it turns out, the Doctor was leaking out more and more. How is she going to handle one more month of…this?

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The air outside was still chilly, but bearable as Rose's dress had sleeves and a wrap around her frame. She inwardly thanked the TARDIS for her continuous help. The walk was short as they arrived at the village hall, already hearing the chattering of guests. A man at the door held out a box for donations, and John was more than happy to give a coin.

Stepping inside they were greeted with warmth and bright lights. The hall wasn't large, but there was a fair amount of room to dance on the dance floor. People were standing around at the bar, talking away with drinks in their hands while others were seated at small round tables or already dancing. Taking a table John removed his coat and hung it on one of the chairs before holding out one for Rose.

Not long after a male announcer went up on stage. "Ladies and gentlemen! Please take your partners for a waltz!"

Exchanging a glance, they smiled at each other as John held out a hand for Rose. Slipping hers in his, he led them onto the dance floor and took their postures. Slow music began to play and they both began to move to its rhythm with such ease. Rose was amazed to see that the Doctor's skills indeed have been inherited in John.

"So you _do_ have the moves, then," she said with a laugh.

He grinned when he spun her around. "Never knew I _did._ I'm quite surprised myself."

It was then he turned them together and accidentally bumped into a nearby couple. He quickly apologized and Rose couldn't help but giggle when a hint of blush tinted his ears.

Another song began to play and it was an even slower tune. Much as she was still conflicted inside she found herself leaning into his embrace, her arms going around his neck and her head resting over his singular heart. She missed that unusual yet wonderful double rhythm of both of them, but before she'd know it she'll be able to hear it once again. When this was over, she was going to seek out the Doctor and talk out their problems. She hated the distance.

The feel of a light kiss to her hair brought her out of her trance. This felt so natural it literally ached. John was very similar to the Doctor while at the same time very different. It's been a while since she's felt this content, but she would just enjoy it for the time being because pretty soon they'll be back to their old lives, and hopefully patch things up.

John glanced down and felt his insides warm up at the sight of a soft smile on Rose's face. Never had he known such a possible situation would happen to him. Mad as it seemed, he could remain in this moment for a very long time. Not just him, but they both can spend it _together._

In the beginning he had thought that it was all just a crush, but it bloomed into something more. He would be glad to call this woman the love of his life until in death did they part.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Martha waited in one of the rooms for Jenny to meet her, setting up cups of tea. While nearly every other colleague in the school was going to the village hall, her along with some of the other maids and cooks were left alone. She just hoped Rose was enjoying herself even if she was conflicted inside.

_One more month_, she kept reminding herself.

She heard footsteps and turned to find Jenny had arrived. "There you are! Come and look what I've got," she moved to sit at the table and set down the tray. "Mr. Poole didn't want his afternoon tea, so Cooke said I could have it. And there's enough for two." Looking over, she noticed Jenny was still standing in the doorway with her coat on, unmoving. "What are you standing there for?"

Not responding, Jenny just sniffed loudly. Martha eyed her, concerned. "Are you alright?" Martha asked.

"I must have a cold coming on," Jenny responded, sitting at the table. "What wrong with you?"

Still studying her warily, she sighed. "Where to start. Problem is I keep thinking about him, but I don't know what to do."

"Thinking about who?"

"Mr. Smith," Martha said. "He's fallen in love with Rose, apparently, and…it'll be difficult to deal with when we leave in a month."

"Why are you leaving? Leave for where?" Jenny asked curiously.

"All sorts of places," she answered, thinking about all of the impossible adventures they've been on, and wondering about what others await. "I wish I could tell you Jenny, but it's complicated."

"In what way?"

Martha shook her head. "I just can't."

"It sounds so interesting, tell me," the other maid urged with an unusual smile plastered on her face. "Tell me now."

Sensing a shift in her tone, Martha could easily tell something was wrong with Jenny, and it sure as hell wasn't any cold. "Would you like some tea?" she asked slowly yet calmly, contrasting with the shaking in her stomach.

"Yes, thanks," Jenny said quickly.

_This wasn't good_. "I could put a nice bit of gravy in the pot, and some mutton," she suggested. "Or sardines and jam, how about that?"

"I like the sound of that."

"Right. Hold on a tick." Standing up from her seat, she walked out of the room and into the corridor…then picked up the pace into a fast sprint when she was a safe distance away from Jenny to be alerted - or whatever was possessing Jenny rather. She knew something was up with her. Making it down the stairs she noticed that familiar green laser shot was fired from a window. One month couldn't wait. It was time to open the watch.

Racing through the school, she turned a corner and bumped into Timothy Latimer. "Oh, sorry!" she apologized.

"Martha?"

"Not now, Tim. Busy!" She called out as she kept running. Wait…if the watch was about to be opened, she needed to retrieve something of the Doctor's first.

The hut wasn't too far from the village hall, so she needed to make a quick stop. Hurtling inside the TARDIS she ran right over to the coral strut where the Doctor's coat was still draped. Reaching into his impossibly large pockets, she muttered in impatience before cheering once she found what she was looking for - the sonic screwdriver.

Dashing back out, she made her way towards the village hall, completely barging past the doorman. Scanning the crowd of people she found Rose seated by herself at a table. "Rose!" Martha cried as she ran over to her.

"What's wrong?"

"They found us! I've seen them, they look like people - like us, like normal. They've done something to Jenny."

"Oh, God," Rose breathed out.

"It's time," Martha told her. "We have to open the watch."

Nodding, Rose immediately went in her pocket to retrieve the watch…and her eyes widened. "No, no, no!" She searched through her other one, muttering in disbelief.

"Rose, _please_ tell me you still have it," Martha said desperately.

"Where is it!?" She shouted. "It's gone!"

_"What!?"_ Martha snapped. This couldn't be happening. "How could you lose it!?"

"I dunno!" Rose snapped back. "I always carry it with me." Her mind was racing. So, the Family have found them, and the only hope they had at the moment was the watch - which was somehow lost. Fan-bloody-tastic.

Martha pinched the bridge of her nose. "Oh, God. Rose, how can you let the most important piece of this entire puzzle slip away?"

"D'you think I want this?" Rose snapped. "You think I _intended_ for this to happen? 'Cause I didn't!"

"What do we do now? The one thing that can save us is gone all because you've got your head wrapped around him."

"That's not it! I must've dropped it somewhere-"

"Martha," John said surprised with a slight edge of irritation as he came back to the table. "I've warned you…" His eyes flitted between them. "Is everything alright?"

Rose felt her insides shake. How could they explain that his dreams were true, that the brilliant mad man was actually him? "Well, actually…" she began, not able to tell him.

"Actually, _no,"_ Martha cut in. "Doctor, we're hiding from aliens, and they've got Jenny. They've possessed her or…copied her or something, and we can't find the watch!"

He raised his brows. "Oh, I see." He turned to Rose and murmured, "Cultural differences," he turned back to Martha. "It must be so confusing for you. Martha, this is what we call a _story."_

"Oh, you complete…" she muttered before gesturing her fingers at his appearance. _"This_ is not you. _This_ is _1913."_

"Good," he said slowly in a patronizing tone, looking at her like she was mad. "This _is_ 1913."

Rose rolled her eyes. Even as a human, he could still be rude. "Just…listen to her," she urged.

John turned to her with an arched eyebrow. "Come now, Rose. You can't really _believe_ her."

Martha sighed in frustration. "Oh, my God." She glanced at Rose and shook her head. "I'm sorry, Rose, but I've got to snap him out of this."

With that, she slapped him hard across the face, causing him to cry out in shock and Rose to wince at the sound.

"Wake up!" Martha yelled. "We need to get you back to the TARDIS."

John stared wide eyed at her, a hand pressed against his cheek. "How dare…" he stammered before angrily regaining his senses. "How _dare_ you! I'm not going anywhere with an insane servant! Martha, you are dismissed from your duties at the school. You will leave these premises immediately." He pointed to the exit. "Now get out!"

"I'm sorry, but I have to…" she reached in her pocket and pulled out the sonic, holding it up to him. "Do you know what this is? Name it. Go on, name it," she urged.

His face was a mix of confusion and shock. Rose had noticed various sketches of the handy device in his journal, and he stared at it with disbelief, completely silent. "You're not John Smith," she told him softly. "You're called the Doctor. That man you dream of every night? He's real…and he's _you."_

He turned to her with an expression that made almost made her want to cry. He looked…lost and hurt. "They're just stories," he told them. "Just dreams."

Before Rose could respond, a chill ran down her spine just as the sound of a coat rack falling to the ground got people's attention and a man began to shout. "There will be silence! All of you!" The crowd began to murmur, only causing the man to repeat, "I said _silence!"_

"Mr. Clarke, what's going on?" a man asked, only to be vaporized with a gun, causing everyone to scream in fear.

Martha went over to John, warning him over the madness. "Mr. Smith? Everything we told you, just forget it! Don't say _anything!"_

"We asked for silence!" Baines ordered. "Now then, we have a few questions for Mr. Smith."

A little girl holding a red balloon came forward. "No, better than that. The teacher - he's the Doctor. I heard them talking."

"You took human form," Baines said with a sneer.

John furrowed his brows in confusion. "Of course I'm human, I was _born_ human!" He nodded at the group of people. "As were you, Baines, and Jenny, and you, Mr. Clarke. What's going on? This is madness!"

"Ooh, and a human brain, too," Baines mocked. "Simple, thick, and dull."

"But he's no good like this," Jenny remarked.

"We need a _Time Lord,"_ Mr. Clarke agreed.

Baines nodded. "Easily done." He stepped forward with a gun in his hand, raising it to point at John. "Change back," he ordered.

"I don't know what you're talking about," John said honestly, hold his arms up in peace.

"Change back!" Baines repeated.

"I literally do not know-"

He was cut off when Martha screamed. Rose turned to find Jenny grabbing her from behind and holding a gun to her. "Get off me!" Martha told her.

"Let her go!" Rose yelled, trying to make a move to help her but felt John place a gentle hand on her waist to pull her back.

Jenny tightened her grip around Martha, taunting John. "She's your friend, isn't she? Doesn't this scare you enough to change back?"

"I don't know what you mean!" John cried out.

"Mother of Mine," Baines addressed. "Might I make a suggestion? The maid is not a strong enough tool." He turned to Rose with the creepiest smile and sniffed loudly. "But I am not mistaken when I say that I have caught a faint scent of a wolf."

Rose felt her stomach drop. The bracelet that was meant to keep her hidden proved to be ineffective. They can smell her. _Oh, bloody hell. _

Jenny sniffed before grinning like a psychopath. "Not just any wolf - the _Bad Wolf._ Oh, wonderful discovery, Son of Mine. She is more…worthy, wouldn't you say, Husband of Mine?"

"Indeed," Mr. Clarke responded. "Let's have you!" In a flash, he reached out and grabbed Rose by the arm, causing her to yelp.

"Back off!" she yelled, but was no use for the man's grip as he raised his own gun to her head. Looking up she was met with a horrified expression on John's face.

"Have you enjoyed it, Doctor? Being _human?"_ Baines taunted. "Has it taught you wonderful things? Are you better? Richer? Wiser? Then let's see you answer this. Which one of them do you want us to kill? Maid or librarian? Your friend or your lover? Your choice."

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**Oh, snap. **


	35. Family of Blood Part 1

**A/N: Forgive me if this seems a bit off. At the time that I typed this I had a continuous headache that just wouldn't go away. Grrrr. Still, enjoy! As I'm currently working on the post-Family interlude, I may update every other day. So the next chapter will be posted on Monday. No worries, not that long of a wait :)**

**Much love to all of the lovely people who have reviewed, followed, and faved! I need as much motivation with these upcoming chapters lol ;)**

**Also, on an unrelated and sad note: R.I.P Leonard Nimoy. Just like McCoy said: "_'He's not really dead…as long as we remember him_.'" ****We'll always remember you and the legacy you've made. Live long and prosper, Mr. Spock.**

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

_**Chapter 35: Family of Blood Part 1**_

"Make your decision, Mr. Smith," Jenny taunted, pressing her gun closer to Martha while at the same time Mr. Clarke pressed his own against Rose.

He couldn't move, could barely catch his breath, or calm his pounding heart. All John could do was watch helplessly as these…insane people - at least, they _seemed_ to be people, but…he wasn't sure - holding Martha and Rose captive.

What was he to do? How could he make a choice? Without a doubt, he would choose Rose, as she was the love of his life, and he would do anything to keep her safe. But he couldn't just let them kill Martha, his faithful friend. His mind was racing as his eyes flitted desperately between both women. Now he understood exactly how the Doctor had felt in his stories, always worried about endangering those close to him - especially his precious Rose.

This couldn't be happening. Was this just another one of his ludicrous fantasies that seemed all too real? He was at a loss.

Feeling a sense of being protective, he somehow found his voice. "Let them go," he told them.

"Oh, he's got a spine after all," Mr. Clarke mocked.

"Mother of Mine, might I interject for a moment?" Baines spoke up. "We have the Bad Wolf in our possession, the one thing that could weaken the Time Lord. It would be a pleasure to use her for our own need as we await for his change."

"Like hell you will!" Rose yelled, trying to break free from Mr. Clarke's grasp but to no avail.

"A wonderful idea, Son of Mine," Jenny said proudly.

"Her energy is just as vital as his," Mr. Clarke remarked, ducking his head down into the crook of Rose's neck, inhaling deeply. "And she smells _so_ good." Rose managed to elbow him in the gut, but couldn't escape. "A _feisty_ one, you are. I can see why he has such a desire for you."

"Perhaps if that human heart breaks, the Time Lord will emerge," Baines said. "But if not, then we shall use the Wolf." Mr. Clarke pressed the gun up to Rose's head, and John suddenly felt a surge of seething anger boiling inside of him.

Rose held her breath and awaited for some kind of miracle, some kind of diversion-

_"Time Lord."_

It was a whisper from the watch, and her stomach swooped in relief when she heard it. It had to be close by.

The Family jerked their heads up and sniffed. "It's him!" Baines cried.

Glancing over at Martha, she understood what they had to do and took the opportunity. In a swift motion they shifted in their captor's hold, squirming free. They grabbed the guns from their hands and held them up against both Jenny and Mr. Clarke.

"All right!" Martha shouted. "One more move and we shoot!"

Baines looked impressed. "Oh, the maid is full of fire!"

"And you can shut the hell up!" Rose shouted, shooting her gun at the ceiling, causing everyone in the room to jump, including herself. Never did she ever want to hold one, but as she was feeling more than frantic at the moment, she didn't care.

"The Wolf _is_ feisty," Baines drawled out slowly, making her skin crawl.

"Careful, Son of Mine," Mr. Clarke warned. "This is all for you so that you can live forever."

Baines along with the little girl raised their own guns at both Rose and Martha. "You do realize that we can easily shoot you both down right now?" he taunted.

"Go 'head, try it," Rose challenged with a smirk. She could easily feel John's gaze burning in the back of her head. If it was the Doctor, he'd be even worse.

"We'll die together," Martha spoke up.

Baines studied both of them. "We wouldn't shoot the Wolf, not while we can drain her later. But would either of you _really_ pull the trigger? Looks too scared."

Rose arched an eyebrow at him. "That may be true, but if you've heard of me, then you should know what I could be capable of. I'm the Destroyer of the Daleks; the killer of their emperor. Turned them into dust. I may be scared, but I've dealt with _far_ worse than you."

Something shifted in the Family, as if they finally realized exactly who they were dealing with.

"I'm with her," Martha piped in. "I may not be capable of such things, but we're in this together. Scared and holding a gun - it's a good combination. You wanna risk it? Doctor, get everyone out. There's a door at the side. It's over there. Go on!"

Rose glanced at John, who was simply standing with a confused expression still on his face. "Do it, John. She means you! Get everyone out of here!"

Bringing him back, he finally took direction as he ushered the guests out. She also noticed Nurse Redfern along with Mr. Stewart helping. The woman may have been a little annoying, but Rose was grateful for her participation. She couldn't help but inwardly chuckle at how it appeared that she found a date after all. Good for her. "Thanks, Joan. You too, Mr. Stewart," she called out.

As the guests piled out, she felt a twitchy feeling inside. In the corner of her eye she saw a crouching figure. Turning her head she identified the shape as Timothy watching from the corner behind a coat rack. "Tim, get out of here!" At her words, the boy ran away to safety. "Joan, Alton, you leave too!"

"And you, John," Martha spoke up. "Shift!"

"What about you two? I couldn't _possibly_ leave you here!" he retorted.

Rose looked at straight at him. "We'll be fine. Just go."

"No! I'm not-"

"John, go!" She shouted. _Blimey, now she understood how the Doctor must feel when she always protests to stay._

Weighing his options, he most certainly wanted to protest even more. But reluctantly, John nodded and ran outside. Lost and completely frantic weren't even justifiable descriptions of how he was feeling right now. Some kind of disease or something has poisoned the minds of innocent colleagues and a student making them appear to be aliens, he's been told that he is in fact the brilliant mad man that's been appearing in his dreams, and the woman that he loved had something to do with a wolf.

What a story this would be if it were one of his dream…which he still hoped it was, but seeing as there was no way to wake up from the madness, his confusion only increased seeing as it was real.

Joining the group of guests, he caught sight of one of the other teachers and strode over to him. "Mr. Hicks, warn the village. Get everyone out!" Turning around, he noticed Timothy Latimer walking around. This was no place for a student to be. "Latimer, you shouldn't be here!" Running towards the boy, he placed his hands on the boy's shoulders. "Get back to the school. Tell the headmaster-"

"Don't touch me!" Tim yelled, pushing him back and out of his reach. "You're as bad as them!"

Staring at the boy with shock and confusion at the his sudden outrage, John watched the young man turn and run away. Surely he couldn't believe that he was actually the Doctor, too. He's not real, he's fiction.

Joan came over to his side. "What's going on, John? Why are they after you and Miss Tyler?"

He shook his head. "I've no idea, but we have to get everyone away from all this madness."

"How could they know about the Doctor and the Bad Wolf?" Mr. Stewart asked. "They never put a hand on your journal."

John's brows creased. "How could _you_ know about that?" He hasn't told anyone else about his dreams, but apparently they were spreading throughout the school. _Lovely._

Mr. Stewart shrugged. "Joan told me about it, and how much of an imagination you've got. Seems pretty interesting, I must say."

"Well…thank you. To answer your question - I'm unsure of how those…beings are familiar with the character of my dreams. But for right now, I want you to help Mr. Hicks get everyone out of here."

"What about you?" Joan asked. "You can't stay out here."

He looked back at the village hall. "I'm _not_ leaving without them," he told her firmly. He'd be damned if he left those two behind - especially Rose.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Once John finally snapped out of his stunned state and left, both Martha and Rose released their captives but kept their guns raised at them for safety. "Don't try anything," Martha said firmly, gesturing at Baines. "I'm warning you, or Sonny boy gets it."

That creepy smile plastered on Baines' face grew impossibly wider. "She's almost brave, this one," he taunted.

The Family began to slowly walk towards them, causing them to back up a few inches with their guards still up. "I should've taken _her_ form," Jenny said irritably. "Much more fun, so full of spirit!"

"You're trying to put yourselves in greater danger, aren't ya?" Rose challenged, keeping her own gun steady which contrasted with the nauseating feeling burning in the pit of her stomach. This must be exactly how the Doctor feels whenever he's around guns.

Jenny turned to her and grinned. _"Yours_ would be even better. All that precious, eternal life inside of you selfishly dancing around. Just the thought of you going out with dignity would be a pleasure."

"What happened to Jenny?" Martha asked. "Is she gone?"

"She is consumed. Her body's _mine."_

"In other words, you mean she's dead," Rose concluded bitterly.

Jenny smiled smugly. "Yes, and she went with precious little dignity." She raised her hands and shook them with mock fright. "All that, _'Ah!'_ screaming!"

"Oh, it's all fun and games, killing innocent lives," Rose spat out. "What good is it gonna do for any of you? You're all standin' on your hind legs ready to fall and flop around on the ground any moment. You're not surviving this! Why don't you just give up?"

As the Family kept approaching them, she and Martha continued to slowly back away with their guns still raised. But they came to a stop and yelped when two possessed scarecrows came up to them from behind and grabbed them.

"Get the guns!" Baines commanded. Doing as told, the creatures released them and ripped the guns from their hands. _Well, that lasted._ "Good work, soldiers."

Taking their cue to escape, both women dashed out of the hall. When they came out they noticed the crowd had dispersed - all except John. Rose had a feeling he'd wait for her regardless of her orders, and couldn't help but inwardly smile at him - but this was dangerous, and without the watch, the Doctor couldn't be around right now. And John was to be protected.

"Don't just stand there, move!" Rose shouted.

"God, you're rubbish as a human," Martha told John.

Rose turned to her with annoyance. "Don't be too hard on him!"

"Sorry Rose, but right now we need to get both him and you away from here. Come on!"

Martha ran past them while John just stood with that uncertain expression on his face again. Stepping up to him, Rose grabbed his hand and whispered, "Run!"

_Oh, what a turn of events._

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Making it safely back to the school, John closed the large wooden door behind them and placed a thick plank through the holds as a lock. Off to the side was a warning bell, which he immediately grabbed and rang loudly.

"What are you doing?" Martha demanded.

He stopped ringing the bell for a moment. "Maybe one man can't fight them, but this school teaches us to stand together," he replied before continuing the warning and shouting. "Take arms! Take arms!"

Rose shook her head and shouted over the sound. "Stop it!" She stepped over to him in an attempt to take the bell away from him.

"You want me to fight, don't you?" John defended, holding the bell out of her reach before resuming. "Take arms! Take arms!"

"No, not _you!"_ The last thing she wanted was for him to be involved in another war.

The sound of footsteps rushing down the stairs came to their attention. Turning around, they saw Hutchinson coming to their call. "I say sir, what's the matter?"

"Enemy at the door, Hutchinson," he told him. "Enemy at the door. Take arms!"

The rest of the boys came running down the stairs and immediately headed off into the armory, grabbing their guns and loading them up. Both Martha and Rose stood off to the side, watching in horror. These were boys - young, innocent children being treated like soldiers. It was wrong.

"You can't do this, Doctor," Martha shouted over the commotion. He didn't seem to respond to that name, so she corrected herself. "Mr. Smith!"

John ignored her as Mr. Stewart gave orders to the boys. "Maintain position over the stable yard!"

"They're just boys! You can't ask them to fight!"

"Faster now!" He commanded. "That's it."

Rose shook her head and stepped up to John. "You said it yourself, you're against them wielding weapons. How could you agree with this? You're putting them up against those freaks! They don't stand a chance!"

He turned to her with softened eyes. "We have to stick together."

"They're cadets, Miss Tyler," Mr. Stewart cut in. "They are trained to defend the King and all his properties."

"They're not _soldiers,_ they're _children!"_ She turned to John. "You can't do this. It's not the right way."

"I know, and I'm not too keen on this either, but what other options do we have?" He responded.

Rose sighed in frustration. Even as a human he was defiant. And he always says that _she_ was the stubborn one. His uneasiness with the situation was noticeable, so she felt a small bit of relief knowing that war related tactics were still uncomfortable for him.

"What in thunder's name is _this?"_ The booming and demanding voice of Headmaster stormed into the room, causing everyone to freeze in place. "Before I devise an excellent and endless series of punishments for each and every one of you, could someone explain, very simply and immediately, exactly what is going on?"

John turned to the man. "Headmaster, I have to report the school is under attack."

Rocastle arched his brows at the statement in doubt. "Really? Is that so? Perhaps you and I should have a word in private."

"I promise you, sir. I was in the village with Rose - er, Miss Tyler," he explained. "It's Baines, sir. Jeremy Baines and Mr. Clarke from Oakham Farm. They've gone mad, sir, and they've got guns. They held Miss Tyler and Martha hostage. They've already murdered people in the village, I saw it happen."

The headmaster arched an eyebrow, but seemed surprised by the circumstances. "Miss Tyler, is that so?"

"I'm afraid it's true, sir," she answered.

"Murder on our own soil?"

"We saw it, yes."

Rocastle considered them before returning his attention to John. "Perhaps you did well then, Mr. Smith. What makes you think the danger's coming here?"

John bit his lower lip. "Well, sir, they said, um…"

"They were looking for Mr. Smith," Joan spoke up. "They said they'd follow him. We're…we're not sure why."

"Very well," Rocastle said before turning his attention to the students and the other teachers. "You boys, remain on guard. Mr. Snell, telephone the police. Mr. Philips, with me. We shall investigate."

"You can't go out there," Rose told the headmaster as he made his way to the door.

"An army of antagonists have killed on this school's territory, Miss Tyler," the headmaster replied. "It is necessary to take arms against them before any more destruction is brought here."

"It's not safe out there!" she shouted. "You may have guns, but they'll be no use for them. All of those boys are endangered because of this school's horrid lessons and lousy protocols. They won't stand a chance!"

"Rose," John said softly, placing a hand on her arm to calm her down.

Rocastle studied her with a stern expression. "Doubting the will of a union's strength is very impertinent and insensitive."

_Oh, he didn't just say that_. Rose's brows shot up to her hairline. _"Me,_ insensitive!?"

John stepped closer with a hardened expression. "Headmaster, I must interject and point out that the one being ill-mannered is _you_ for speaking with such rudeness to a lady."

Rose looked at him with shock at his tone. He was defending her, just like the Doctor would. If only they could find the watch to bring him back.

"Mr. Smith, I advise you to control your lady," Rocastle directed. "And Miss Tyler, control your incivility. This school sticks together, and that's what we will do now."

Turning on his heel, the headmaster left with the other teachers. Rose inhaled a shaky breath, fighting the urge to run over to the man and smack him upside the head. How she hated snobs.

A familiar hand slipped into hers and gave a gentle squeeze. Looking over, she was met with John's soft eyes. "He's not worth it," he said quietly. "Just let him go."

"Doesn't change the fact that this is _wrong,"_ she replied.

"I know, but…" he shook his head. "Stay with Martha-"

Her stomach dropped. "Don't you go out, too."

"I'm not," he nodded at the window on the other side of the room. "I'll just stand off and watch, that's all."

"Okay, just…watch yourself," she warned. Letting go of his hand, she and Martha went off in search of the watch. She felt a twitch as she ran up to the stairs. Where the hell did it get to?

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"This whole thing is nonsense," Joan commented as both Rose and Martha searched John's study for the fob watch. It couldn't have been in here, but it fell out somewhere, and it needed to be opened as soon as possible.

"Yeah…that's life," Rose said distractedly.

"But what use is a _watch_ going to do? Count down the seconds until another life is taken away?"

"No," Rose told her firmly. "It's important that we find it and restore the Doctor's consciousness. I know we sound mad, but we're not from here."

"I can see that," the matron remarked.

"It's all true," Martha spoke up, going through his mantle. "Crazy as it may be, it's real. When the Doctor became human, he took the alien part of himself and stored it inside the watch. It's not _really_ a watch, it just _looks_ like a watch."

"And alien means…not from abroad, I take it," Joan said slowly, just as Mr. Stewart entered the room.

Martha stopped her search to look directly at the confused woman. "The man you call John Smith…he was born on another world."

"A different species," she breathed out, trying to comprehend.

"Yeah," Rose answered as her friend went back to her search. "He may look human, but he's not, I assure you.

"I take it you two are humans, then?" Mr. Stewart asked slowly.

"Yes," Martha answered. "Don't worry about us."

Joan shook her head. "But…what about you, Rose? Those…people seemed to have their minds set on wanting you as well."

_Oh, damn._ "Well…it's complicated," Rose answered truthfully before waving it off.

"So, you're actually an _alien,"_ Mr. Stewart concluded.

"No," she said quickly before adding, "For the most part. I mean, I'm _human,_ just…more…" she trailed off figuring out how she could explain her situation.

"Unique," Martha supplied. "She's…that's all there is to her. She's just…more."

_Yeah, that pretty much summed her up._

Shifting in his spot, Mr. Stewart scratched his chin. "Then where do you two fit in with this…fairy tale? What are you to him?"

Rose bit her lip as a small bit of pain crossed through her heart. Despite all of the bitterness and issues going on between them personally, there was one thing she was certain of. "I'm everything to him," she answered softly. "His best friend, his whole world, and…his _love."_

Joan nodded. "I should've known." She turned to Martha. "And you?"

"I'm just their friend," she answered. I travel with them. I don't just follow them around, I'm training to be a doctor."

"Not an alien doctor," Rose added. "She's gonna be a _proper_ doctor, like ones in hospitals."

"Well _that_ certainly is nonsense," Joan scoffed, eyeing Martha with a judgement. "Women might train to be doctors, but hardly a skivvy and hardly one of _your_ color."

Rose gave her a pointed look. "Seriously? Murderous aliens have possessed humans, and are causing mayhem all around, and _that's_ what you don't believe? _Shame_ on you!"

"It could never happen! I'd actually believe the aliens part before _that."_

"Oh, really?" Martha snapped as she turned to the woman. "Bones of the hand," she held up her hand, pointing to certain parts and described them with ease. "Carpal bones, proximal row: scaphoid, lunate, triquetrum, pisiform. Distal row: trapezium, trapezoid, capitate, hamate. Then the metecarpal bones extending in three distinct phalanges: proximal, middle, distal."

Rose crossed her arms over her chest and nodded with a proud smile on her face. It was about time someone in this school would stop underestimating Martha's brilliance. Finally she proved them all wrong.

The matron blinked in shock. "You read that in a book."

Martha chuckled. "Yes, to pass my exams. Can't you see this is true?"

"I must go," Joan said, trying to head out of the room.

"If we find that watch, then we can stop them," Rose told her firmly.

"Those boys are going to fight," the matron said. "I might not be a doctor, but I'm still their nurse. They need me."

As she ran out of the room, Mr. Stewart looked at them for moment. "You've rendered her gobsmacked." Martha shrugged in response. "Well, if everything you've said is true, then we'll ready ourselves." With that, the teacher left before following her.

"He seems to accept this fairly quickly," Martha commented.

Rose let out a sigh and ran a hand through her hair. "Oh, the Doctor will never forgive us for any this," she said. "And it's all my fault 'cause I lost the watch. Where the hell is it?" She picked up a stray book from the desk and hurtled it across the room in frustration.

"Hey, hey," Martha said, placing her hands on Rose's shoulders. "Relax. We'll find the watch, Rose. Soon, this will all be over, and everything will be back to normal. I'm sorry about what I said earlier. It was an accident."

Rose let out a mirthless chuckle, her eyes misting with unshed tears. "Yeah, it was just a small accident, a little slip," she said sarcastically. "The _one_ job I had to do and I _failed_ at it. How could he trust me? I'm worthless," she added with a small voice.

Martha shook her head. "You're _not_ worthless, Rose. The Doctor trusts you with everything, just as you do for him. I promise we'll find the watch, and then this madness will end." Taking in a shaky breath, Rose brushed the loose strands of her hair off her face and nodded. "There's one thing that I don't get though," Martha added.

"What's that?"

"How could they detect _you?_ I thought that bracelet was supposed to keep you hidden."

"It _was,_ but apparently it's not as strong as the Doctor thought," Rose said flatly. So not only are they hunting him, but now they'll come after her. _Wonderful._ Of course, she should've seen this coming. "Let's not worry about that right now. We gotta find the watch."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Standing by the window and hiding behind the curtains so not to be seen, John watched anxiously as Headmaster Rocastle and Mr. Philips went to confront the antagonists. The whole group wasn't present - only Baines and Jenny - but they weren't alone as they had an army of scarecrows lined up behind them.

If only this was one of his dreams.

"So," the headmaster remarked. "Baines and one of the cleaning staff." He shook his head. "There's always a woman involved. Am I to gather that some practical joke has got out of hand?"

Baines cocked his head and gave that crooked smile. "Headmaster, sir, good evening, sir. Come to give me a caning, sir? Would you like that, sir?"

"Keep a civil tongue, boy," Rocastle scolded.

"Now, come now everyone," Mr. Philips cut in with raised hands. "I suspect alcohol has played its part in this, let's all just calm down. And who are these friends of yours, Baines, in their fancy dresses?"

"Do you like them, Mr. Philips?" Baines said as he turned to look at the group of scarecrows. "I made them myself. I'm ever so good at science, sir. Look," he reached over and pulled off one of their arms, "Molecular fringe animation fashioned in the shape of straw men. My own private army, sir. Ever so good, sir."

John gulped as he watched from inside. Why did those scientific terms seem so…familiar?

"Baines, step apart from this company and come inside with me," Rocastle ordered.

"No, sir," Baines responded. _"You,_ sir - _you_ will send us Mr. John Smith. That's all we want, sir - Mr. John Smith and whatever he's done with his Time Lord consciousness. We also wouldn't mind if you sent us the blonde woman along with him - the Time Lord and the Bad Wolf. That's all we want. Then we'd be very happy to leave you alone."

John's heart began to pound at that name again - _Bad Wolf._ No, that couldn't be…he heard of that name in his dreams countless times, but…not Rose. That couldn't be his Rose. Right?

Rocastle studied Baines. "You speak with someone else's voice, Baines. Who might that be?"

"We are the Family of Blood," the possessed boy answered.

"Mr. Smith said there had been deaths."

"Yes, sir! And they were _good,_ sir!"

"Well, I warn you, the school is armed."

Baines chuckled. "All your little tin soldiers," he mocked. "But tell me, sir, will they thank you?"

Rocastle shook his head. "I don't understand."

"What do you know of history, sir? What do you know of next year?"

"You're not making sense, Baines."

"1914, sir," Baines told. "Because the Family has travelled far and wide looking for Mr. Smith and, oh, the things we have seen. War is coming - in foreign fields, war of the whole wide world, with all your boys falling down in the mud. Do you think they will thank the man who taught them it was glorious?"

_No. That was just a dream_, John thought to himself.

"Don't you forget, boy, I've been a soldier!" Rocastle said loudly. "I was in South Africa. I used my dead mates as sandbags, I fought with the butt of my rifle when the bullets ran out, and I would go back there tomorrow for King and Country!"

Baines rolled his eyes. "Et cetera, et cetera." With that he suddenly brought up his gun and fired at Mr. Philips, vaporizing him. Rocastle flinched as the boy continued. "Run along, headmaster. Run back to the school, and send us Mr. Smith! And maybe throw in the Bad Wolf!" The headmaster quickly turned and ran back inside.

John walked away from the window and scrubbed a hand down the lower half of his face, his nerves shaking. This couldn't be happening. How could those…mad people possibly know about his dream?

The sound of heavy footsteps came to his attention. It had taken the headmaster a total of probably three seconds to rush back inside. "Mr. Philips has been _murdered,_ Mr. Smith. Can you tell me why?" he demanded, causing the boys around to mutter.

"Honestly, sir, I have no idea," he said truthfully.

"For some reason they seem determined to capture you and Miss Tyler," he pointed out.

John shook his head. "Sir, I've no idea what they want from us - from _me_ - but that's not the only problem. The telephone line has been disconnected. We're on our own."

A darkened expression crossed Rocastle's face. "If we have to make a fight of it, then make a fight we _shall."_ He turned to the boys. "Hutchinson, we'll build a barricade within the courtyards - fortify the entrances, build our defences. Gentlemen, in the name of the King, we shall stand against them!"

"Yes, sir!" the boys shouted in unison. Nodding, the headmaster left with the boys eagerly following.

A sickening feeling washed over him, making him want to gag. The whole idea of war always made him uncomfortable, but it seemed to be worse as if…he was in one himself, which was impossible since he's never been in a battle in his life. But in the back of his mind, he felt a tug trying to say otherwise.

Letting out a heavy sigh, John slowly trudged along with the others to aid them in the upcoming battle. He may not know exactly what the result of this would be, but one thing he was certain about was that he would never forgive himself for this.

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Still searching for the watch and mentally kicking herself for losing it in the first place, Rose frantically checked the lower floors while Martha made her way through the higher ones. The longer they were without the watch, the more in danger everyone here was in. They needed to Doctor _now._

Rushing down the flight of stairs, she ran past a room but skidded to a stop at the tired sound of John's voice. He appeared to be giving instructions to a group of boys preparing for battle.

"You're with Armitage and Thwaites, they know the drill," he was instructing. He glanced up and noticed her presence then dismissed the boys. Coming to her side, he shook his head at her. "Rose, it's not safe."

"Doesn't matter, I can't let you go out there," she told him firmly.

"Please, Rose, I don't want you to come anywhere near those people. It's too dangerous." He pressed his lips tightly together, revealing his deep dimples. "This really wasn't quite how I pictured tonight going," he commented sheepishly.

Rose chuckled once. "Oh, it could be worse," she said lightly.

Given the circumstances this was _exactly_ how it would happen. With the life she and the Doctor had anything's possible. And that's what she needed, what everyone needed right now - _the Doctor._ But how could she bring John into realizing he wasn't real?

"John, you said that you were from Nottingham," she mentioned.

He gave her a confused look. "Yes…"

"Tell me about it," she urged.

"Sorry?"

"Tell me about it," she repeated.

"Well…it lies on the River Leen," he told. "Its southern boundary following the course of the River Trent which flows from Stoke to the Humber-"

_Yep, he sounded like an encyclopedia._ "Where did you live?"

"Broadmoor Street, adjacent to Hotley Terrace in the district of Radford Parade."

Rose felt a small bit of pain for him. He was a man with many fictional fantasies, but what he didn't know was that _he_ was the fictional one. She became too attached to him - which she had a feeling would happen anyway since he's still technically the Doctor, but at the same time he wasn't him. Still conflicted and confused, she wanted to try to get him to realize who he really was.

Hopefully he could at least realize it without the watch here to speed up the process. _Where the hell is that bloody watch?_

"Any places you would hide out in as a child? Like a small hut, or something-"

"Wait, why are you wondering about my childhood all of a sudden?" He asked curiously.

She closed her eyes for a moment and lowered her head. The last thing she wanted was to break his single human heart - but she didn't want to send him out in another battle.

John placed two fingers under her chin to bring her back up to face him. "I won't let anything happen to you, Rose," he said softly. "This will all be over soon, and everything will go back to normal."

She shook her head, keeping her eyes shut._ How she could only hope for that._

"You don't believe me," he said, moving his hand to her cheek. "Rose, why-"

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I'm so sorry, but…you're not real, John."

He chuckled through his nose and smirked. "Of _course_ I'm real, look at me. How can I not be real?"

"Because you're really the Doctor," she told him, opening her eyes.

The smirk instantly fell from his face as he was taken aback by her words. "No…"

"Listen to me," she tried. "We have to find a watch - you know that watch I carry? It's lost, and we need to find it. It's _you."_ He shook his head, failing to comprehend. "I know it's hard to understand, John, I'm sorry but-"

"You _actually_ believe that," he said in disbelief, dropping his hand from her cheek. "You really believe that I'm the Doctor? How can you think that I'm not real? When I kissed you, was that a lie?"

"No, it wasn't," she assured. "No."

"But this Doctor sounds like some…some romantic lost prince! Would you rather that? Am I not enough?"

"No, that's not it," Rose said quickly, placing one hand on his chest and another on his face, seeing the hurt in his eyes. "John, listen-"

"I've got to go," he said, turning away from her.

"Mr. Smith, if you please!" Rocastle called out.

"Don't do this," she told him. "They're just boys, they're _children._ Whether you're the Doctor or John Smith, you know that this is wrong regardless." He glanced over at her. "Please, you can't let them go through with this."

The headmaster called out for him again, causing him to turn around at the sound of his name.

Reluctantly he turned back to her, his voice torn. "What choice do I have now?" After a beat, he raised a hand and pressed it to her cheek before leaning down and crashing his lips to hers. A moment later he pulled away and rushed out of the room.

Standing alone all Rose could do was watch him as as he went out into battle, her heart clenching in her chest. Once they found the watch, John would be gone. But convincing him that he was fictional was proving to be difficult.

She wasn't giving up on him, though. He may be in denial, but deep down he knew he was the Doctor, he just had to. Rose believed so. And even if he didn't, she would _make_ him believe.

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The group of boys were huddling together outside in preparations for the upcoming battle - all except for Timothy. Frozen in place, he was met with the same odd vision he had seen earlier during their lessons in the fields.

Images of war - bloodshed, mud, wires, madness. Loud eruptions from the battleground causing rubble to rain upon the soldiers. He saw himself in the middle of it all, both he and Hutchinson. They hid down in a hole, shielding themselves from the chaos. A flare shot across the sky just above them prompting them to duck for cover. Tim noticed he had the watch in his hand - the very object he had in his pocket at the moment.

They may be going to battle right now, but going by the visions they would survive this…and have to be ready for another.

"Get those bags piled up, filth," Hutchinson ordered, bringing him out of his daze. "Gonna mean the difference between life and death for us."

"Not for you and me," Tim told him.

Hutchinson gave him a pointed look. "What are you babbling about?"

"We're going to battle together…we fight alongside, I've seen it. Not here, not now."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means you and I both survive this," Tim assured. "And maybe…" he reached in his pocket and pulled out the watch from the vision, staring at it. "Maybe I was given this watch so I could help." Looking back up at a confused Hutchinson, Tim shook his head. "I'm sorry." Rising to his feet he ran back inside the school.

"Latimer, you filthy coward!" Hutchinson yelled after him.

"Oh, yes, sir! Every time!" _Better to be a coward than a killer,_ he thought as he headed into the dark hallways.

Passing by he caught a glimpse of Mr. Smith and Miss Tyler in one of the rooms conversing. Coming to a quick stop, he watched from afar in the shadows and listened to what they were saying.

The booming, demanding voice from the headmaster called for Mr. Smith, causing Tim to jump and keep himself hidden more. From where he stood, he could easily make out both of the adults' expressions. They seemed desperate and torn. Mr. Smith stared at Miss Tyler for a moment before leaning down to give her a kiss.

Another vision flooded Tim's mind as he was met with the Doctor and Miss Tyler - Rose - standing together surrounded by the light of a fireplace in a room decorated for Christmas. An object was floating in the air above their heads, glowing gold as they shared a loving kiss beneath it.

Blinking, the images passed and he saw Miss Tyler standing alone in the room, looking forlorn. Running back in the hallways he came to a corner and sat down on the ground with his back against the wall. With the watch still in his hand, he traced the circular shapes engraved on the silver case before opening it again.

Once again, he saw an image of Rose bathed in a golden light, burning like the Sun, her eyes shining bright.

"_Bad Wolf_," the man's whisper said.

In a blur another vision came to him: the Doctor and Rose were in a large white room, holding onto levers as whipping winds pulled at them in a gaping hole in the wall. Rose's grip had slipped, and she cried out as she headed straight for the opening. The Doctor screamed as he helplessly watched in horror until the hole closed and the winds stopped, and Rose connected with the wall. He ran over to her immediately and pulled her into his arms.

Almost too quickly, he was overwhelmed with other visions of the two. It was hard to make them out clearly as they moved in such a dizzying pace, radiating strong emotions of fury, desperation, sadness, and guilt. But when they came to a stop an intense feeling washed over him. Something so clear and evident it was impossible to miss.

The Doctor loves Rose Tyler. More than anything in the world, she's the one thing that gives him hope, the only one that could save him. Two lonely souls that would burn in the golden light together…forever.

"_She must be safe,_" the whisper said.

"What?" Tim asked quietly.

"_Keep safe._"

That wasn't helping him. "What do I do?"

"_Beware_…" the voice breathed out.

"Beware of what?"

"_Her_."

Just as he was about to question again, he glanced up to see Lucy Cartwright standing at the other end of the hall, still holding her red balloon and staring at him with a blank expression as she inhaled deeply.

Quickly rising to his feet, he pocketed the watch. "Keep away," he told her in a louder voice, masking the slight shaky feeling he felt inside.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"I saw you at the dance. You were with that family. You're one of them."

Lucy tilted her head. "What are you hiding?"

"Nothing," he said evenly.

"What have you got there?"

"Nothing," he repeated.

The girl began to slowly walk towards him with a mocking smirk. "Show me, little boy."

Warily backing away from her, he tried to keep his guard up. "I reckon whatever you are, you're still in the shape of a girl. How strong is she, do you think?" His fingers twitched as he reached into his pocket. "Does she really want to see this?"

Bringing out the watch, he snapped it open and held it out in front of him. The golden light poured out again along with another image. What appeared to be fire flickered down as it revealed the Doctor looking down, a cold hard expression on his face as water rained down on him, the fires behind him raging.

Lucy's eyes widened in fear at the image, causing her to flinch before turning and running away. Once she was gone Tim shut the watch and looked down at the object in wonder.

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**Responses to: Demigofdfrompanem, and ****random fangirl; ****Hi again! I'm glad you're all enjoying this! ;)**


	36. Family of Blood Part 2

**A/N: Next part. Sorry it's shorter than the previous one, but I'm breaking these chapters down. There *may* be four parts to FOB like for Human Nature. Simply because I'm trying to work on the post-Family interlude which, for some odd reason, I'm struggling with a bit. No worries, I'm pushing myself to get it done ;)**

**Many thanks to the lovely viewers of this story! You all deserve some treats lol ;D**

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_**Chapter 36: Family of Blood Part 2**_

Closing his eyes, John tried to settle himself down. Not only was he reeling from standing with the boys as they readied themselves for this fight - which was more than uncomfortable for him, to say the least - but he couldn't believe what Rose had told him.

"You alright, Mr. Smith?" Mr. Stewart asked from the side.

John cleared his throat. "Yes…" he let out a sigh. "No…"

"Still no ideas about why those people are after you?"

He shook his head. "It's madness, that's all there is to it. Utter and complete _madness_."

"Whatever it is, they seem pretty determined to get to you. They even wanted Miss Tyler. Madness definitely plays a part in this, but it's unusual."

Biting his lip, John took a deep breath. "She believes that I'm the Doctor," he said quietly. "How could she think that?"

Mr. Stewart shrugged. "With everything that's going on, the possibilities are endless."

"What, _you_ believe that, _too?"_ John accused.

"John, look around you. Look at everything that happened tonight. All's I'm saying is that after hearing those stories of yours-"

"That's all they are," John cut in sharply. "Just _stories._ Ridiculous and remarkable tales in a journal. That's all."

"Then what do you make of Miss Tyler's situation?" Mr. Stewart asked, arching an eyebrow at him.

John clenched his jaw tight and remained silent. How can she believe that he was the mad man from his dreams? They were just _stories_. Stories that could be told to others for entertainment, a piece of his imagination. Surely he couldn't be him. Right? But the family hunting him down also want something to do with her as well. Something about the Bad Wolf.

He had mentioned that name a lot in his journal, and when he sketched its form it was always an angelic image of Rose shining bright with a golden light. Was Rose…Bad Wolf? _No, it couldn't be-_

"Stand to!" the headmaster ordered, snapping John back into reality and away from his fantasies. That is…if they really were fantasies… He shook his head as he, along with the boys positioned themselves in front of the main entrance doors. "At post!"

Everyone raised their guns and took aim, John included. Though he was holding it steady, his stomach was churning and his insides trembled. He always had a distaste for weapons, but why did this seem somewhat familiar to him?

"Enemy approaching, sir," one of the boys reported.

"Steady!" Rocastle ordered. "Find the biting point." Everyone tightened their grip on their guns when the wooden bar across the entrance gate cracked as the entourage of scarecrows came through. "Fire!"

At the command the boys unloaded all they could as they shot at the scarecrow men. Some were falling and blowing up, but others kept coming. One by one the army of stuffed creatures took the bullets. All of the boys were resilient as they never stopped for a beat.

If only John could say the same for himself.

While everyone else was obeying the headmaster's orders, he just stood frozen in his position, his grip tightened on his gun and his finger trembling on the trigger. He couldn't bring himself to fire even one bullet. Glancing at his surroundings, he felt his heart clench and his stomach wretch. For a moment his vision blurred as his ears buzzed and rang, a wave of lightheadedness crashing over him.

This was wrong. He knew it all along that this was not the way to fight, but he was caught in the hysteria and went along with it. He could see it on the boys' faces - all exhausted, and frightened. They were basically being forced into this situation against their will. Rose was right - regardless of who he was, this wasn't the right thing to do. Standing by her beliefs as well as his own, he lowered his gun.

Not much longer the last scarecrow fell to the ground. "Cease fire!" Rocastle directed. At his word, the boys stopped firing and lowered their guns as well. The headmaster walked amongst the bodies, a ridiculing smirk on his face. "They're straw, like he said. Straw!"

Hutchinson turned to John. "Then no one's dead, sir? We killed no one?"

"No," he said softly, looking down at the boy. "No, you didn't." Relief washed over him at that fact. He didn't think he'd be able to forgive himself if he, or any of these boys for that matter, were to kill others.

And then he heard approaching footsteps, causing the headmaster to order once again, "Stand to!"

Looking ahead, John's eyes widened at the figure entering.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Still inside the school Rose sat on the bottom of the flight of stairs, inwardly wincing at the sound of gunfire. She let John go out into battle. She let him wield a gun, something the Doctor would consider to be taboo. How would he forgive her for that?

Her head shot up when the commotion ended not much longer after. The sound of footsteps rushing down the stairs got her attention. Turning around she found Martha coming down with Joan. Judging by the look on her face, she had no luck in the search for the watch either.

"Is it over?" Martha asked.

Letting out a sigh, Rose shrugged. "I dunno."

Walking over to stand by the window, the women peered out to see the fallen bodies of the possessed scarecrows. Rose scanned the area and took in the tired and confused faces of the boys. So young and innocent being forced into being trained like soldiers.

She noticed John off to the side, appearing uneasy. At least he still remembered that battles sickened him. Eyeing his rifle, it looked like all of the bullets were still loaded inside. Did he refrain from firing?

"Stand to!" They heard Rocastle shout, prompting the boys to get back into their positions. Apparently it wasn't over just yet.

Off in the distance was another figure. Rose felt a chill shoot down her spine when she recognized the person. "Oh, no." The little girl from the Family entered, the red balloon still in her hand. Not even hesitating, she ran out of the room to head outside.

"It's the Cartwright girl, isn't it?" Rocastle said, walking over to the girl. "Come here, come to me."

"No!" Rose yelled once she made it outside. "Please, Headmaster, don't go anywhere near her!"

Rocastle turned to John. "Mr. Smith, I told you to control your lady," he said strictly before turning to Rose. "Miss Tyler, I advised you to keep that uncivil tongue of yours quiet!"

"And I advise _you_ to shut the hell up for one bloody second and _listen_ to _me!"_ She shot back, angrily. "That girl isn't a girl anymore, she's one of _them!_ She's part of the Family!" Turning her head she noticed Martha and Joan standing by the doors. "Tell him, girls!"

"It's true, sir," Martha assured.

"I-I don't know," Joan stammered, her fear showing. "I think you should stay back, Headmaster."

Mr. Stewart stood beside her and held her hand for support. "Those…people are not to be trusted, sir. She's not a child anymore."

Rocastle arched an eyebrow at them, still doubting their affirmations.

"John," Rose called him out. Some more defending would be nice.

"Sir, you have to believe us," John spoke up, after a slight hesitation. "She was there…with-with Baines in the village. She is a part of them."

"Mr. Smith, I have seen many strange things this night, but there is _no_ cause on God's Earth that would allow me to see this child in the field of battle, sir."

Rose slapped her thighs and inwardly sighed. This man deserved a decent slap to the face. It may result in her being fired, but…_what the hell was she talking about?_ She doesn't really work here. What's stopping her?

Rocastle went back over to the girl. "Come with me."

"You're funny," she said.

"That's right. Now, take my hand."

"So funny."

In a flash, she reached into her coat drawing one of those vaporizing guns and shot the headmaster.

Everyone jumped at the sudden movement, staring at her in shock. Rose was expecting it to happen which was why she was trying to warn Rocastle before he put himself in danger. To see an alien entity possessing a person is sickening enough, but doing so to a _child_? That's on a whole other level of sick.

This couldn't be happening, John kept repeating in his mind. People have died…and it was because of him. All because these mad…aliens want him for some reason. He glanced over at Rose. They also wanted her, but why? How could she have been brought into this mess? Whatever the reasons, he was going to make sure she was safe, and not to be held in their clutches.

"Now, who's going to shoot me?" The girl challenged, her voice taking on a darkened tone. "Any of you?" No one made a move. "_Really_?"

Though he was still shaking inside, John found a steady voice and decided to assume authority. "Put down your guns!" He ordered at the boys.

"But, sir," Hutchinson began with a low voice. "The Headmaster-"

"I'll not see this happen. Not anymore," he replied. "You will retreat in an orderly fashion back through the school." He faced the boy closest to him. "Hutchinson, lead the way."

"But, sir-"

"I said lead the way!" He hollered.

"Just do what he says!" Rose told the boy.

"Go on, then," came the mocking voice of Baines, who managed to slither his way through the gate. "Run!" Raising his gun in the air he fired a shot, causing the boys to scatter in fear and rush back into the school. John pushed the girls in front of him as everyone made their way back inside, they heard Baines cry out to the scarecrow army, "Reanimate!"

Shutting the door and locking it behind him, he and Mr. Stewart, along with the women, ushered the boys down in the lower passages to safety and away from the school.

"Let's go! Quick as you can!" John shouted.

"Careful, boys!" Martha told them.

"Don't go to the village!" Rose added, leading the boys out. "It's not safe!"

"And you, ladies," John addressed the women.

"Don't you dare," Rose said firmly. "We're not going anywhere."

"Not til we've got the boys out," Joan added.

Once the area was cleared, he sighed. "Now, I insist, the three of you just go."

Rose snorted. "You really think that'll happen?"

"Please, Rose," he said evenly. "If there are any more boys inside, Mr. Stewart and I will find them." The last thing he wanted was for them to be in more danger than they already were - and Rose…well, he won't anything happen to her.

Turning to the door off to the side, he opened it…and was met with a group of the scarecrows. "Um. Right," he breathed out.

"You were saying…?" Rose asked.

"I think…retreat!" He closed the door quickly and hurried out to the nearest exit near the back of the school. Once he instinctively reached for Rose's hand as they ran, he felt a strange sudden sense of déjà vu.

What else could possibly happen tonight?

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Making their way around the school they came to a sudden stop when they heard Mr. Clarke calling for the Doctor in the distance. "Come back, Doctor. Come home. Come and claim your prize."

John kneeled to the ground behind the bushes and grass with both Rose and Martha beside him, and Mr. Stewart and Joan to the back. Peering ahead of them, Rose felt a twitch when she noticed exactly where they were. She's been familiar with this area for two months, and for good reason.

The TARDIS was up ahead with the Family surrounding it.

"The magic box," Joan breathed out in disbelief.

"Out you come, Doctor!" Baines called out, speaking as if he were taking to a pet. "There's a good boy. Come to the Family."

"Time to end it now!" Jenny added. "Come out, Doctor! You and the Bad Wolf can't run away forever. Come to us!"

_No, no, no,_ John repeated in his head. It was the box - the blue box from his dreams. But…it couldn't be. For a second he felt his heart stop beating as his eyes remained fixed on the object. It was impossible!

"You recognize it, don't you?" Rose asked softly.

He hesitated, not wanting to believe any of those ridiculous accusations were true. That wasn't his life, it just wasn't. "I've never seen it in my life," he told her, trying to hide his fear but he figured she'd know he was lying.

"Do you remember its name?" Martha asked.

"That's…impossible," Mr. Stewart commented.

Rose placed a gentle hand to his arm. "John, you wrote about it," she said quietly. "You dreamt of it, the blue box. Remember?"

His eyes flitted between the blue box and the family surrounding it, waiting to capture him and even try to take away his Rose. By everything he knew of this Doctor, he was like a lost prince whose life was filled with hurt, and fury, and tragedy. How can that be a way of life? _His_ life? Rose couldn't possibly be involved in it, could she? Is she a part of this too? He glanced over at the woman beside him before turning away.

"I-I'm not…" he breathed out, trying to calm his nerves. "I'm John Smith," he insisted, choking back on a sob as he turned back to face Rose. "That's all I want to be: John Smith with his life…and his job…" his voice cracked as he stared into her wide, hazel eyes. "…and his _love_. Why can't I be John Smith? Isn't he a good man?"

"Yes," Rose assured him, placing a hand on his face. "Of course he is."

He blinked, forcing his misty eyes to dry and pleaded. "Why can't I stay?"

His breaths were shaky as she studied him. If she was a part of this madness, he wouldn't want to drag her with him. He'd want her safe, to know that there would be no worries as long as he was right by her side.

"But we need the Doctor," Martha spoke up from his opposite side.

Whipping his head around, John glared at her. "What am I then? _Nothing?"_ His eyes burned with unshed tears. "I'm just a story!"

With that, he avoided any glances at the others and swiftly stood to his feet before taking off. All he wanted to do was run. Just keep on running - running away from the truth, the lies, and impossible life that very well might be his.

Watching John take off, Rose shot a glance at Martha. "C'mon!"

They, along with Joan and Mr. Stewart not far behind, ran after him. Catching up to John, Martha asked. "Wait, where are we going?

"This way," Joan called, directing them down a street both on the outskirts of the village, "I think I know somewhere we can hide."

"We've got to keep going," John told them strictly.

"But where?" Mr. Stewart asked. "There's nowhere safe to be. That Family could track you down easily." He glanced over at Rose. "Both of you."

"Trust me," Joan interjected. "I know a place, follow me."

John shook his head defiantly. "Oh, no-"

"John, just listen to us for once," Rose said, grabbing his hand.

She made a move to run and follow the others, but he pulled her back and stared at her. "What's going on? Really, what's the meaning of all of this?"

She swallowed hard. "Now's not the time for questions," she responded.

"Fine, then just give me the answers," he pleaded.

Instead of replying, she tugged his hand and brought them back to running. This whole entire thing was hurting her inside. John was just a simple man - but he was a man of fiction. He wasn't real.

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Joan led the group down another road before turning a corner. After a few more minutes of tiring sprinting, they came up to a small, dark house surrounded by grass and shrubbery. "Here we are. It should be empty," she said, catching her breath.

"My Lord," Mr. Stewart said, wiping his forehead. "It's been a long time since I've run that far."

Rose snorted. "Welcome to our life." This was a small jog compared to all of the running she's done for the last two and a half years.

Opening the door, Joan walked inside with the others right behind her. Looking around, it was a simple and basic cottage style kitchen with a small table in the center and a den on the other side.

"But who lives here?" Martha asked.

"If I'm right, no one," Joan replied before calling out. "Hello?No one home. We should be safe here, then"

Rose saw a small tea set laid out on the table. "Whose house is this?"

"Wait, this is the Cartwrights' residence," Mr. Stewart informed.

"So, that little girl," Martha began. "She lived here?"

Joan nodded. "She's Lucy Cartwright…or she's taken Lucy Cartwright's _form._ If she came home this afternoon, and if the parents tried to stop their little girl, then they were vanished." She went to the table and placed a hand on the teapot. "Stone cold. How easily I accept these ideas."

"Been there before," Rose muttered quietly.

With heavy footsteps John plopped down in one of the chairs seated at the table, his head held in his hands. An awkward silence hung in the air until Mr. Stewart spoke up.

"Now what do we do? We certainly can't stay here forever."

"I must go to them," John announced, raising his head. "Before anyone else dies."

Rose's eyes widened. "Don't you dare," she said firmly. "Those deaths weren't _your_ fault, d'you hear me?"

"How can you say that?" He said with a broken voice, that familiar brooding expression making its first appearance in over two months. "Those people are looking for me-"

"Well, they found me now, so they're coming for _us,"_ she retorted.

John shook his head. "I won't let them get anywhere near you."

"And I'm not letting you throw yourself out there like a piece of meat!"

"There must be something we can do," Joan said. "Martha?"

Martha shook her head. "Not without the watch."

John straightened himself up and turned his head to Martha, a nasty glare in his eyes. "You're this Doctor's companion, can't you help? What exactly do you do for him? Why does he need _you?"_

"I'm his friend," she said in an even voice.

"I fail to see how that's going to help me here!" He snapped.

Rose smacked his arm. "Stop it! Don't you yell at her! She's our friend, and she's been through enough in this bleedin' place, so stop!" She let out a sigh. "God, and I thought you were rude enough as a _Time Lord."_

"How are you a part of this, Rose?" he pleaded. "Tell me how you're included in this mess, really."

She tightened her grip on his hand, lowering her voice. "I'm his best friend. I'm the one who keeps his head on straight. When I met him, he was broken and alone with nothing to look forward to. But then he came into my life, and now he'll never be alone anymore." She ducked her head for a moment. "I'm a lot of things to him, but most importantly…I'm the love of his life."

His eyes widened at her words, his face appearing paler. "No…" he breathed out.

A sudden knock on the door caused John and Rose to rise from their seats and everyone else to freeze in place.

"What if it's them?" Joan asked in a whisper.

"I'm not an expert," Martha spoke quietly. "But I don't think scarecrows knock."

Turning around, she walked cautiously over to the door and opened it a crack. After a second, she pulled it open wider - and Rose was shocked to see who it was.

_"Tim?_ What are you doing here?"

"I brought you this," the boy said.

Though she was shocked to find Timothy Latimer at the door, who walked to a dark cottage near the edge of the village all by himself knowing full well the Family was still out there, Rose felt relief wash over her once she caught sight of the Doctor's fob watch in his hand.

_How did he know for sure that they needed it?_

Martha took the watch from him and pulled him inside, quickly shutting the door. She walked up to John and held the watch out for him. "Hold it."

John stared at the object fearfully, his heart beating rapidly in his chest. He shook his head. "I won't."

"Please, just hold it for a moment," she insisted. This time, he didn't respond to her, and just kept his eyes fixed on the watch.

"It told me to find you," Tim said. "It wants to be held."

"You've had it all this time?" Rose asked. "Tim, why didn't you return it?"

"Because it was waiting…and because I was scared of the Doctor," he admitted.

"Why?" Mr. Stewart asked curiously.

Tim turned to face John, slowly explaining. "Because…I've seen him. He's like fire…and ice, and rage. He's like the night and the storm in the heart of the Sun."

"Stop it," John said quietly, trying desperately to keep his composure.

"He's ancient and forever," the boy continued. "He burns at the center of Time and he can see the turn of the universe."

"Stop it!" John cried, unable to hide the slight panic that escaped from him. "I said stop it!"

"And…he's _wonderful,"_ Tim finished.

Rose couldn't help but smile at the boy's description. No matter how much the Doctor may beat himself up over everything he's ever done, he would always be the most wonderful man in the universe.

"Both he and the Bad Wolf," Tim continued, catching Rose off guard. He saw her too? "The one who created herself, who burns in the center of Time with him. She imprinted herself onto his soul, casting off her angelic golden glow to brighten his darkness. The Doctor and Rose Tyler, dancing across the stars…just as it should be. Forever."

Silence fell once more in the room, the only sounds being the shaky breaths that John was inhaling. For a moment he felt his heart stop, a heavy weight pressing down onto his chest. He desperately tried to convince himself to not believe in any of these revelations, but…deep inside he felt that tug again telling him otherwise.

"John…" Rose spoke, her voice soft.

He didn't glance over at her. Instead he kept his eyes focused on the ground.

"I hope you don't mind me taking this," Joan said to her. John looked up and saw the matron reach into her dress pocket and pull out his journal. "When we were searching for the watch, I came across your journal in Rose's room, John."

"Those are just stories," he said quickly.

"No, John," Rose said, grabbing his hand and giving it a gentle squeeze. "We know that's not true."

He shook his head. "I'm not a story," he denied, his voice shaky. "I-I just can't be."

"We're all stories in the end," she said quietly.

The matron began to look through his journal. "Perhaps there's something in here-"

Suddenly an explosion outside rocked the cottage, causing everyone to brace themselves.

"What the hell?" Martha exclaimed.

They all huddled around the window to see the horrible scene of flares shooting across the sky and falling bombs.

"They're destroying the village," Mr. Stewart proclaimed. "Now what?"

John spun around with a frustrated noise. "The watch." He moved to the table and picked it up.

Both he and Rose gasped when they heard the whisper. _"Closer…"_

"Can you hear it?" Tim asked him.

_"Closer…closer…"_

Lifting it up he studied the watch intently. "I think he's asleep - waiting to awaken."

"Why did he speak to me?" Tim asked.

"Oh, low-level telepathic field," he said in that familiar arrogant and chipper voice that was the Doctor's. Rose couldn't help but smile as he continued. "You were born with it. Just and extra synaptic engram causing-" he stopped with widened eyes and gasped. Staring at the watch for another moment, he looked back up at them, his fear evident. "Is that how he talks?"

"That's him!" Rose exclaimed, but her face fell when she saw the hurt in his eyes.

"All you have to do is open the watch and he's back," Martha told him.

He glared at her again. "You knew this all along!" he accused, not bringing himself to look over at Rose. Deep down he just couldn't blame her for everything that happened. "And yet you just watched while I fell in love with Rose-"

"I didn't know how to stop you!" Martha shot back. "I didn't wanna come between you two. How do you think Rose felt? I may have been through enough these past two months, but she's been struggling to get to close to you because you're similar to the Doctor and have the same feelings that he has for her-"

"But he _hurt_ her," he ground out. "I felt it…I saw it in some of my dreams, the ones that I didn't dare to write down. He filled her life with pain and misery, leaving her aside all because of his own _cowardice."_

"No, she's his entire world-"

"If that's the case, then why would he continually hurt her?" he retorted.

"That's not-"

"No, that's _exactly_ what he does. He ruins her life, and now he's ruining mine. What Rose and I have…" The woman being mentioned remained silent and watched on, fighting back on her tears. John stared at her bewildered but at the same time felt a little betrayed. _How could she love a man like that?_

Martha stepped up to him. "He gave us a list of things to watch out for, but that wasn't included."

"Falling in love? _That_ didn't even occur to him?" he asked incredulously.

She looked at Rose, whose eyes were shut. "Maybe it did, maybe it didn't. Regardless, he has Rose. All he wanted was for her to be safe."

_"Safe?_ She's in even _more_ danger! Those people or…aliens, whatever they are, they're now looking for her now."

"Which is why we need the Doctor," she stressed. "So he can save her, just like he always does."

"A man with a medical name who claims to help others when all he does is poison those around him. What sort of man is that? And now you expect me to _die?"_

"It was always going to end, though!" Martha cried. "The Doctor said the Family's got a limited life span, and that's why they need to consume a Time Lord, or even someone as unique as Rose. Otherwise, three months and they die. Like mayflies, he said."

His brows shot up to his hairline. "So your job was to _execute_ me!" he stated hotly, avoiding Rose's gaze as he spat such hurtful things.

Another explosion shook the cottage, causing everyone to hold on to whatever they could.

"People are dying out there! They need him, I need him, and most of all, _Rose_ needs him - God _knows_ how much he means to her. They love each other more than anything in the world. He's her everything just as she's his. 'Cause you've got _no_ idea what he's like. I've only just met him. It wasn't even that long ago, but he already means so much to me - both he and Rose. They're my friends, and I'm looking out for them…especially now with all the bitterness between them. Because even though they've got each other, sometimes they both need a friend."

"But if he loves her as much as you claim, then what's holding him back from showing her?"

"Because…he's afraid of himself," Tim answered. "He loves her more than anything in the universe, and it scares him that he could still lose her. He has all of Time and Space at his fingertips, but the one thing that amazes him and makes him believe is Rose Tyler."

An even stronger explosion crashed down, violently shaking the ground beneath them.

"It's getting closer," Mr. Stewart warned. "John, you have to come up with something."

Visibly swallowing, John stared hard at the watch in his hand, trying to think of alternative. Then a thought that seemed to escape his mind came to him. "I should have thought of it before!" He said, holding out the watch. "I can give them this, just the watch. Then they can leave, Rose would be safe, and I can stay as I am!"

"You _can't!"_ Rose shouted, coming out of her silent state.

"If they want the Doctor, they can have him," he tried to reason.

"He'll never let you do it," Martha told him.

"And neither will I," Rose added.

John shook his head. What he thought of was a better way of handling this. The mad man they've been searching for could finally be theirs, and Rose would be safe to be with him for the rest of their lives, away from the madness and misery that came from the Doctor's life.

"If they get what they want, then-then-"

"Then it all ends in destruction," Joan cut in sadly. It had escaped his mind that she had been reading through his journal. "I just read to the end of this…those creatures would live forever, to breed and conquer. War across the stars…for every child."

Any and all hope John had diminished as he felt his heart sink. So many lives would be taken away and be replaced by alienated vampires. And to top it all off…he would have to die to prevent any of that from happening. And have to leave behind the woman that he loved.

All this time Rose was fighting back on her tears, but when she saw the hurt look on John's face, she couldn't stop one of them from falling. His eyes were misty as his lips quivered, his breaths still shaky. Very rarely, in two and a half years of traveling with the Doctor, did she ever see him so broken and on the verge of tears. Of course, this wasn't him per se as it was his human self, but…to see such an expression cross his face made her heart break.

Thankfully, the others took notice. "Come," Mr. Stewart said to the others. "Let them have their moment." Taking the hint, they each left. Martha glanced over at Rose with a saddened look in her eyes. She understood how tough this would be, and how much Rose resented this.

She basically had to send John Smith to his death in order for the Doctor to come back. But Martha had faith that Rose would be strong through this hard situation. Hopefully.

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**Sorry I cut it there! No worries, the next one will be posted soon. *get ready for the feels* **

**Response to _newboy:_ Thank you so much! :'3 I'm trying my best to keep it that way. I wish it would be canon too :( But that's what fanfics are for lol Yeah, you really can't blame Rose for worrying about the Doctor, what with him and his over-the-top plans. Oh, definitely. When the Master comes in…oh boy. I've got a small idea about the whole Davros situation, but I've got a ways to go until that. ;)**


	37. Family of Blood Part 3

**A/N: ****Yes, I'll admit it: I actually teared up when I typed this, and then again when I edited it. I'm so sensitive ;0 I'm sorry this is shorter than most of my chapters, but I'm trying to work on the post-Family stuff, so…yeah, don't worry, it's all good ;)**

**Many thanks to all of you lovely reviewers and followers! You all keep me sane as I write this ;)**

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_**Chapter 37: Family of Blood Part 3**_

The moment the others left, what little control John had left was gone as he finally gave in and broke down. Rose moved over to him and brought him in her arms, one hand stroking his hair and the other his back. Holding onto her tightly for dear life, he buried his face in the crook of her neck as he sobbed, soaking her skin with his tears as he tried desperately to lose himself in the one he loved.

This was all he wanted to do. He didn't want to let go of her, let go of his life - his happy, wonderful life with this lovely woman.

Everything he had ever known was a lie. Here he thought he was living a modest and simple life - an ordinary man with a job teaching young boys at a prestigious school who happened to fall deeply in love with a remarkable woman. But it was all false, a story of fiction. No…his actual life was one that _should_ be written down as a fictional tale, but the fact was that it was reality.

He was a man - an _alien -_ that traveled across the stars. Someone who carried destruction and grief wherever he roamed. The lost prince…the lonely God. And this woman, Rose Tyler, was his angel. _The Doctor's_ angel. As much as it hurt him deeply, he couldn't bring himself to hate her for deceiving him.

The sobs coming out from him were enough to pain her heart as Rose couldn't help but weep as well. This man, while he wasn't the Doctor, was still someone who grew on her, someone she cared for. Someone she loved. She may have been playing with fire when she became too close to him knowing full well it was wrong, but it was too hard to keep her distance.

If two weeks of distance away from the Doctor was enough to hurt her inside, then over two months was most likely going to break her. How she would've managed was impossible to know, but she found solace in this man in her arms. Conflicting as it was, the Doctor was still there, and that's all she wanted.

But now, she needed the Doctor to come out fully.

After a few more moments John's sobs silenced. Patting him on the back, Rose took his hand and led them over to sit on a bench located on the other side of room by a small fireplace. If she was about to convince him to change back, she was going to do it as calm as possible.

If only she could tell her nerves that.

John lowered his head and kept his eyes closed as he continued to steady his breathing. Raising the hand not holding the watch, he wiped his face dry and sniffed before staring into the flickering fire in front of them.

Just watching the torn expression crossing his face was enough to make Rose cry again. She's always been the person to mend a sad and broken heart - now she had to shatter one to pieces. Her stomach was churning. How could the Doctor do this to her?

"It should have been me," Rose said quietly.

He turned to her, a crease forming on his brows. "What?"

"If I could, I would have put myself in this position. I should have went through the change." She scratched her forehead. "I'm not strong enough to do something like this. I didn't want you to suffer by yourself. If I had done it with you…" she trailed off.

He said he'd never forgive himself for putting her through such pain and agony, but she didn't care how much it hurt. If she was going to suffer just to help him out, then that's what she'd do. She hated when he did drastic things alone, especially ones with extreme risks - which was usually almost every one.

"You really love him?" John asked, bringing her out of her state. His eyes were now fixed the watch as he toyed with it, rubbing his thumb over the case.

"More than anything," she told him sincerely. "Always have, and I always will."

He stopped fidgeting with the watch and turned to face her, his eyes misting over again. "How?" he questioned, his voice breaking. "How can you love a man that _hurts_ you like that? Why would you want a life that only gives you grief?"

Rose took a deep breath. She was unsure if the Doctor would remember any of this when he would change back, but she had to say it.

"It's the life I chose. I chose to be with him. He showed me a better way to live my life. It may have cost me my family, my friends, and anyone else who was close to me…but I could never bring myself to resent him for any of that - even if he blames himself for it. I made my choice a long time ago, and I'm _never_ gonna leave him. No matter what. He's been alone for so long, but he isn't anymore. It's the happiest I've ever been in my life. We both love each other, and made a promise to cherish every moment we share together."

"But he doesn't give you all of the love you _deserve,"_ John stessed. "I _could."_

"Maybe…but he expresses it in so many other ways."

John shook his head. "So…you're just going to leave me, then?"

"John-"

"You said that the Doctor was once alone," he reminded, his voice thick with emotion. "Is that what you're going to do to me?"

How could she respond to that? That was it - she had no answer for him. Once that watch is opened, John Smith would cease to exist.

"I was going to ask you to marry me."

_Wait a minute…what!?_

Rose's eyes widened at his words. Did he…? Did he just say what she _thought_ she heard him say? "W-what?" she managed to get out.

John scrubbed a hand down his face, letting it rest over his mouth for a moment before explaining. "All this time I've had this strange feeling in the back of my mind. Like a…like a tug telling me you were the one I would spend the rest of my life with. You kept coming to all of my dreams. Every night there would be at least one or two, sometimes more than that, so many adventures with you beside me. You were _always_ there.

"It seemed strange at first 'cause I had no idea who you really were," he continued. "You were just the beautiful woman who happened to be the librarian at the school I was teaching at. But as they continued…I felt a familiar warmness inside, like I've known you for quite some time. So I took it as a sign…" he turned to her. "I love you so much…and I wanted it to last until we…" he took in a shaky breath and turned away.

Rose didn't know what to say. John had only known her for two months and he considered the thought of making her his bride - his _wife._ She knew most of the Doctor's traits leaked through and into John, but…that was big. That was _intense._

Was that actually _the Doctor's_ feelings, or was it just _John's?_

John sniffed again. "Would _he_ want to marry you?"

"I…I don't know," she answered truthfully. "It doesn't matter if he would or not, though. We've promised each other forever no matter what. We'd love each other all the same regardless."

Being together was one thing, but to wed would be _huge._ For so long she's pondered the entertaining thought of becoming the Doctor's wife, especially with all of the times they've put on the married couple act when investigating. But that was an even bigger leap into their relationship that she was unsure if he really wanted to take it.

He pinched the bridge of his nose and smiled sadly. "All of those stories, all of those dreams…they were real. I actually met Shakespeare…_William Shakespeare._ And-and _Charles Dickens."_ He shook his head. "All of those creatures…all that pain…and it was _real_…I wasn't…I really thought…"

Reaching over she placed a hand over his. As much as this was tearing her apart, too many deaths have occurred in this place…and now one more had to happen here in order for everything to be fixed. "I'm so sorry, John. But now it has to end. You have to open the watch."

In a flash, John stood up and ran a hand through his hair. "This is madness. I still can't believe that's my life. It's…I don't want it," he choked out.

Rose stood up from her seat. "No, no, please don't do this."

He turned around, "But…I love you," he said, tears welling up in his eyes again. "I can give you the love you deserve." He took her hands in his and held them tight. "I'm not ready to die just yet."

Rose blinked back the tears in her eyes. _"Please,_ John. Please don't make this any harder for me than it already is. It has to happen."

He lowered his head when another sob escaped from him again. Pulling her hands away from his grip, she placed them to either side of his face. His own hands came up to cover hers as he leaned down and pressed his forehead against hers in the most natural of gestures.

At contact, a golden light surrounded Rose's vision making her head feel like she was in a cloud. A reel played before them both, images of the life John Smith could have had…a life that _she_ could have had if she were _fully_ human.

Both of them were at a wedding - _their_ wedding - being declared as man and wife before sharing their first kiss as a married couple. The next one showed Rose giving birth to their first child - a daughter. Then came another with them walking across the field with their three children, the two oldest walking ahead while the youngest was in between she and John, holding their hands. And lastly came elderly versions of themselves, John laying on a bed while Rose sat by his side. They held each other's hand as he let out his final breath and passed on peacefully.

Through it all, Rose could hear the Doctor's voice in her ears, speaking words he's told her before: _"I've taken you away from things you could want one day, things that I could never be able to give you - the chance of a normal life with a human."_

She may not be fully human anymore, but the visions she saw were images of that normal life she could have had if she was - the husband, the children, living a life day after day…the one adventure the Doctor could never have.

John pulled back with a gasp, visibly shaking after witnessing the overwhelming future that could have been his. Could have been _theirs._ "That-that could be our life," he breathed out. "We could still have that," he said with slight hope.

"But it never will be," Rose told him sadly. "I'm sorry, but you have to open it now, John."

"I don't want to go, Rose," he whispered. "I don't want to die."

A few more tears dripped from his eyes, prompting her to brush them away with her thumbs. "I know. I'm so sorry," she told him before giving him a gentle kiss to his trembling lips. "I know you'll never forgive me for this, but…I'm gonna buy you some time."

Letting him go, Rose made her way out the back door. "Rose, what are you doing?" John asked fearfully. She wasn't…no. No, no, no. "Rose, no!"

His heart stopped beating for a moment. He still wasn't keen on killing himself…but, he also wasn't thrilled about the love of his life making herself bait for _him._ Even in his dreams, he noted how stubborn she could be, and that most _definitely_ was true.

Looking down at the watch, he heard another whisper. _"Save her."_

He didn't need the watch to tell him otherwise. It was then, John made his decision.

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_What was taking them so long?_ Martha thought to herself. She, Tim, the matron, and Mr. Stewart were still waiting impatiently for something to happen. She knew how uncomfortable Rose was with this whole thing just by the torn look in her eyes. She had to convince John to open the watch, which basically meant telling him to die. It was morbid and saddening, but the Doctor was the only one who could save this place.

In the far distance, some other explosions rocked the area. "I've no experience in any of this…field of alien studies," Mr. Stewart began. "But when exactly is this Doctor going to make his appearance?"

"When the watch is opened," Martha answered.

"How will we know it's opened?" Joan asked.

"Honestly, I'm not even sure. But I'm sure-"

A piercing cry cut her off, and she recognized it easily. Both the matron and the teacher moved to enter the house, but Martha stopped them. A bright golden light shone from the windows blinding them. Shielding their eyes, it dimmed down after a moment.

Martha went over to the window, putting her hands on the glass to peer inside. All she saw was the dark…and the back door opened. Oh, no. She turned to the others, "Wait here for a second."

Rushing inside, John - or the Doctor - was standing in front of the fireplace. But Rose was nowhere in sight. Studying him, she noticed a certain ancient look in his eyes in the firelight. "Doctor?"

"Stay here," he said with a hard voice.

"Where's Rose?"

"Martha, just go. Bring the others in here, and stay with them. When you hear a big bang, head back to the school and gather your things then get to the TARDIS. We'll join you shortly." And with that he took off out the back door.

Relief washed over her knowing that the Doctor was back, but where the hell did Rose go? She couldn't be…oh, she was. Those two are never happy unless they're putting themselves in even more danger.

If the Family had Rose, then they'll have to face the fury of the Time Lord.

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Not to her surprise, it hadn't taken long for Rose to be captured. Trouble really was so easy for her to get into, but at least this was part of her plan.

After leaving John to make the change, she ran through the woods and across Cooper's field. This was where that green light shot through the sky, so the Family had to be around here. And of course, someone came up to her from behind and grabbed her. Sure enough an enormous ship was parked in the distance. Perfect. Leading her right in.

"Family of Mine, look at the stray I have found wandering around," Mr. Clarke proclaimed as they entered.

Baines turned around, that creepy crooked expression still on his face. "Well done, Father of Mine. She'll be most useful as we await for the Time Lord to emerge."

"Good luck with that," Rose spat, trying to wiggle out of Mr. Clarke's grasp. "You won't get anywhere near him."

"No matter. We've been patient this whole time," Jenny said before sniffing loudly. "But as you're here we could consume the essence of the Bad Wolf instead."

"Yeah, go 'head and try," she challenged.

"Oh, the feisty ones are the most delicious!" Mr. Clarke remarked, tossing her to the ground.

"Once the Wolf is drained, those Time Lord hearts will break over his beloved, and we shall have immortality!" Baines shouted.

"And what a lovely life," Rose said angrily. "All of those innocent people that have died all because of your selfish needs. You freaks make me sick!"

Jenny snorted. "How very human of you," she sneered.

"That's right! I may be the Bad Wolf, but I'm still human enough to care about all of those that have died. Just look at you lot," she gestured to them. "Those bodies you're holding? They were humans once, and you took everything that they were and threw it away."

"Those lives were worthless little snacks," Baines told her. "And the rest of those peasants will perish and soon we will conquer."

"The Doctor won't let you. He'll stop you."

Jenny scoffed. "You talk of him like he's innocent. We've seen into the future when we came onto his trail. What we're doing is hardly comparable to the destruction that _he's_ done."

Rose shook her head. "That's where you're wrong, 'cause I know how he is. He's merciful. If someone dies in his name, he doesn't gloat or act all smug about it - he regrets it. Because he's been around for a long time and carries those who've fallen over his head and in his hearts, beating himself with every chance he gets for allowing it to happen. But he's strong…and if you're lucky, he may show some mercy for you lot despite all _you've_ done."

In response the Family burst into another fit of maniacal laughter. "The Wolf is so confident. It's no wonder he's so infatuated with you," Jenny said. "You're the only one in the entire universe that believes he's a good man."

"That's because he _is_ one," Rose stressed seriously. "He's the most wonderful man in the universe. I believe in him just as he believes in me."

Baines chuckled. "How very sentimental you are, picking up for him, and all of those dull humans out there." Another explosion in the distance got his attention as he turned to peer at a monitor and shouted with joy. "We'll blast them into dust, fuse the dust into glass, then shatter them all over again!"

By now John had to have opened the watch and the Doctor was restored. He was coming, she could feel it-

The sound of something metal falling on the ground with a pang. Off to the side, she noticed the Doctor stumbling inside the ship…or rather John as he was trembling with fear with his hands held up in a peaceful manner. Oh, great.

"Just-" he began before clumsily tripping and hitting a panel of buttons to the side. "Just stop the bombardment, and don't hurt Rose. Just let her go and stop these attacks, that's all I'm asking. I'll do anything you want, just _stop,"_ he pleaded.

Baines humored him. "Say please," he said in a delighted tone.

"Please," he complied. Rose studied him carefully. Something was off about him. He was being _too_ clumsy - far more than John actually was.

Jenny hit a switch, stopping the bombs and firing. Her head jerked up as she inhaled deeply. "Wait a minute…still human."

Wait, what? He couldn't be…could he?

"Now I can't-I can't pretend to understand, not for a second, but I want you to know that I'm innocent in all this," John said. "He _made_ me John Smith. It's not like I had any control over it-" he stumbled again and hit another panel of buttons.

"He didn't just make himself human, he made himself an _idiot,"_ Jenny mocked.

"Same thing, isn't it?" Baines retorted.

John inhaled a shaky breath. "I don't care about this Doctor and your Family. I just want you to leave Rose alone and just go. So, I've made my choice," he raised his hand and held out the watch. "You can have him. Just take it, please! Take him away!"

"NO!" Rose cried in horror. This couldn't be happening. She stood up from the ground and stood beside him, facing the Family. "Take me instead."

John turned to her. "What are you doing?"

"Protecting my Doctor," she answered firmly. If this was the case, she'd rather her be the one to be consumed than the Doctor. Of course…she wasn't keen on dying.

"How sweet," Jenny teased. "Two lovers willing to protect each other. So thick."

"No, please," John insisted. "The Doctor's life is worth more. His life is filled with so much grief and pain, it's hardly one worth living. And I know he would do any and everything in his power to keep this pink and yellow human over here safe. So, just take him away!"

Pink and yellow? Only the Doctor would use that description of her.

He glanced over at Rose for a split second, and that's all it took for her stomach to swoop. That familiar glint in his eyes made all of her worries vanish. It was _him._ He was back. She knew something was off. Only she could easily point out his believable charades. She inwardly smiled at his return while at the same time shook inside. Still, she went along with his facade.

Baines approached him and took the watch from his hand. "At last." As he gazed at the watch with wonder, he grabbed the Doctor by the lapels with his other hand. "Don't think that saved your lives." He shoved him away, causing him to bump into Rose, but he exaggerated the force as he threw himself against the wall hitting more buttons.

Rose inwardly rolled her eyes and bit back on a laugh. _Always the dramatic one._

"We will kill the Wolf and her lover once we gain eternal life," Jenny remarked with delight.

Rose turned to face the Doctor, who was crouching down after that over that overly dramatic tumble. He threw a quick wink at her, and she resisted the urge to smile at him as they were still pretty much in danger. But she was glad to have him back.

"Family of Mine," Baines said to the Family. "Now we shall have the lives of a Time Lord!"

He opened the watch, causing them all to inhale his essence…

"It's empty!" Baines shouted angrily, turning back to the Doctor.

He frowned. "Well, where's it gone?"

"You tell me!"

Baines tossed the watch back to him, which the Doctor caught with one hand and straightened himself up then began to speak in his usual explanatory voice.

"Oh, I think the explanation might be you've been fooled by a simple olfactory misdirection. Little bit like ventriloquism of the nose. It's an elementary trick in certain parts of the galaxy. But it has got to be said-" he reached in his pocket and pulled out the trusty specs and inspected the gauges. "-I don't like the looks of that hydroconometer. It seems to be indicating you've got energy feedback all the way through the retrostabilizers-" he tapped it with the back of his finger, "-feeding back into the primary heat converter. Oh!" He hissed. "'Cause if there's one thing you shouldn't have done…you shouldn't have let me press all those buttons."

He grabbed Rose's hand. "But, in fairness, I will give you one word of advice: Run!" With a manic grin, he tugged Rose along and out of the ship.

From behind, they heard Baines repeatedly shout, "Get out!"

Running across the fields, the Doctor pulled Rose ahead of him as the ship behind them exploded. He pulled her down as they dove to the ground from the blast, but luckily there was a safe amount of distance between them and the explosion. Slowly standing he helped Rose up to her feet. Turning around, they saw the Family laying on the ground unconscious.

After a beat the Doctor startled Rose when he grabbed her by the waist and spun her around, pulling her close as he crashed his lips to hers to kiss her fiercely all in one swift motion. Though shocked by the sudden gesture, it didn't stop her from responding with equal intensity as she wrapped her arms around his neck. She's missed this, and judging by how tight he was holding her, so did he. They still have things to work out, but right now she was going to relish the moment.

All too soon it had ended when he broke the kiss and rested his forehead against hers. "Rose…I-I…" he breathed out.

Though it was dark, she could see the apologizing look in his eyes, and she took it. "I know," she whispered.

Inhaling a shaky breath, he closed his eyes. "Head back to the TARDIS," he husked.

"Doctor-"

"Please, Rose, just go."

"What're gonna do with them?"

"Give them what they deserve," he ground out.

With that he walked back over to them. She didn't have to see his face, for she knew the Oncoming Storm was coming out of its cage. For once she was wrong - the Doctor might _not_ show the Family any mercy for what they had done after all.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**Goodbye John, welcome back Doctor. Were any of you expecting that sudden gesture? Well…there's a lot they have to deal with, so it won't be _that_ simple. Still, no worries.**

**Response to _Random Fangirl:_ It's okay, I update fairly quickly. Please don't be sad *hugs* ;)**

**Response to _Candy thy Cutie:_ asdfghjkl :3**


	38. Family of Blood Part 4

**A/N: Last part of this Family mess.**

**Thank you, thank you, thank you lovely viewers! You're all loved ;D *hugs***

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

_**Chapter 38: Family of Blood Part 4**_

Rose made her way back to the TARDIS by the hut. The area was so dark and solemn, which was understandable with the battle that had just happened. If this had gone any further, this very well have been the start of World War Four - and in the era they were in, the _first_ one hadn't started yet. But it would in the next year.

All of those young boys would be going to war and they didn't even know the suffering that would follow. It always pained her with historical events, but after traveling with the Doctor for two and a half years, she knows better. She couldn't warn any of them about the impending threat.

She was still stunned at the sudden intense snog the Doctor had given her after the Family's ship exploded. Even with all the chaos happening around them, not to mention their personal issues between them, he brought himself to do something they hadn't done in months. She had missed those passionate moments. Of course she wasn't counting the couple of sweet kisses John gave her…though, he was _like_ the Doctor…

No, she wasn't about to make her head hurt again with the conflicting dilemma they've been in for these months in hiding. Now was time to move forward and away from this. But where would they go from here?

After a few more moments, the beautiful, magnificent ship that was the TARDIS was up ahead and she could already feel Her welcoming hums. Placing her hand to the wooden door, she smiled and stroked the frame. "Welcome back, Old Girl," she said before stepping inside.

"There you are!" Martha cried as she ran down the ramp to give her a tight hug. "God, you must love putting yourself in danger."

Rose chuckled. "Not really, but it seems to be the norm."

"So…how was it?" Martha asked when she pulled back.

"Oh, you know - captured by vampire-like aliens, fought with them a bit-"

"No, Rose, I meant how did everything go with…John?"

She swallowed hard as the upsetting scenes came back to her. "Well…for the most part. The Doctor's back, so it went according to plan."

"Where's he now?"

"Taking care of the Family," she answered. "Dunno what he'll do with 'em, but…he said he's giving them what they deserve, so who knows what he's planning." She paused for a second. "He kissed me for the first time since…"

Martha's eyes lit up a little. "That's good. It's a start, yeah?"

"I guess, but…it may have been a spur of the moment thing."

"Oh, come on, now. With him? Okay, maybe he was relieved that you hadn't gotten yourself killed, but if you're missing him, then the feeling's mutual." Martha gave her a sympathetic look and rubbed her arms. "Hey, I know it was hard for you to do what you had to do with John, but the Doctor's back now. We can finally get out of here," she said lightly. "Back to our regular lives."

Rose nodded. "Yeah."

Judging by the uncertainty on her face, Martha could easily tell that Rose was still a little uneasy. Maybe it was the fact that she talked a man into dying just so the Doctor could be restored back into his Time Lord self. Or…maybe she was still deciding on how she and him could patch things up between them.

"Hey," Martha said softly. "It'll get better. Just talk to him after this. I'm sure he's feeling the same way."

Rose sighed. "Who knows," she said quietly before adding, "He said he wanted to marry me."

Martha's eyes widened. "What? Who?" She knew the Doctor mentioned something about bonding, but…did he finally tell Rose?

"John," she replied.

"He really told you that?"

Rose nodded, biting her thumbnail. That honestly wasn't surprising to Martha. If John was anything like the the Doctor, then he was the core of his consciousness. When the Doctor implied that he wanted to bond with Rose, she wasn't as shocked by that. What _did_ shock her was that he had yet to do so. He couldn't possibly be reconsidering that, could he? And she couldn't be belittling herself with everything could she?

Martha's job as a mediator wasn't ending just yet.

"I strung him along," Rose said. "All that time, and I…" she trailed off and shook her head.

Taking her hand, Mart told her softly. "The Doctor knows how much you love him. He knows you'll do everything you can to make him better-"

"I know, Martha," Rose said with a sigh. She paused for a moment before saying, "'M gonna take a shower and change," she said gesturing at her dress. "These old fashioned outfits are too formal for me."

Martha snorted. "Tell me about it."

As Rose headed down the corridor, a hum filled Martha's ears. It sounded somewhat…sad and impatient, if there ever was a sound for that. Raising a hand, she patted one of the coral struts. "This funk of theirs needs to end, Old Girl, wouldn't you say?"

She hummed in agreement. "I know she's been through a lot in these last couple of months, but she needs to talk with him." Another hum. "What can we do?" The TARDIS answered with a warning hum. The Doctor was coming back, and judging by the sound, he must have been furious. Rose had said he was handling the Family, but it must have been serious.

Martha went off into the corridor and went to her room. Whatever happened between John and Rose was definitely effecting her, but how was it effecting the Doctor? All she knew was that once they finally left this place she was going to make those two settle their differences, whether they were hesitant to or not.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sitting on her bed, Rose held her head in her hands. As much as she was ecstatic that the Doctor was back, she couldn't help but feel a little uneasy. Not because of what she had to do in order for him to be restored, but at what he told her when he was human.

The idea of him admitting that he wanted to marry her - after only knowing her for two months - was a bit of a shock to her. Granted, John did display gestures of tenderness that the Doctor would and made her feel like he hadn't changed, but bringing up marriage like that was just…somewhat unexpected.

She honestly didn't know how she should be feeling. The whole entire time they spent in hiding she felt as if she was taking advantage of him. They've been distant and it ached. She's been longing to be with him again, to feel his soft, gentle caresses, to kiss him lovingly whenever she wanted, to hold him in her arms.

John was very much like the Doctor, but at the same time was very different. Those extreme thoughts could have been either John's or the Doctor's. But…if John was a part of the Doctor…did that mean that he actually felt like _that?_

It was a thought she had considered so many times, most of them entertaining the idea whenever they pretended to be a married couple while investigating. But that was an even bigger commitment than what she and the Doctor had right now. Was that a step he was willing to take? Their fallout replayed in her mind again. No matter what he thought, he still had his doubts that she'd leave him.

What more would it take for him to finally believe that she was never leaving?

Rose stood from her bed and walked over to her wardrobe to pick out an outfit. All she wanted at the moment was to get out of this vintage dress and take a nice shower.

The TARDIS hummed in her mind, sounding sympathetic, and causing her to smile.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Two months of hiding. Two months of detachment and isolation from their normal lives. And what came out of it? Anger, pain, suffering, and utter destruction. That was pretty much the expectant, wasn't it? Every single time someone or something encounters him, that's _always_ the guaranteed end result.

Once the Family awoke, the Doctor huddled them together as he wrapped ropes around their bodies to prevent them from any attempts of escape, then pulled them along to walk across fields to get to the TARDIS. As much as he hated how merciless he was being at the moment, he just couldn't bring himself to forgive these creatures for what they had done - not only to the innocent lives all around, but they could've killed _Rose._ Could've taken away her essence and her _life._ The very thought only caused his blood to boil impossibly more.

He kept kicking himself because the olfactory bracelet proved to be useless in masking her scent. He might as well have taped a sign on her back saying, '_Hello, I'm Rose Tyler, and I'm the Bad Wolf. Please come and suck the life out of me'_. How the hell could he have been so _thick!?_ No, he knew the reason why. He refused to let her use the Chameleon Arch, all because he didn't want her to suffer through that pain.

And look at what had happened because of his defiance: she wound up in even _more_ danger after he promised her she'd be safe. It was the price they had to pay because of his fears and selfishness.

The TARDIS warned him three times - _three bloody times_ - that Rose could still be detected, and he ignored Her. He basically threw her out there in the world exposed. What he thought was the safer and more reasonable alternative to keeping herself hidden only turned out to be even worse. If only he allowed her access to the Arch and changed her form this whole thing could have been avoided, though the result was unknown now.

The one thing that _wasn't_ unknown to him was her feelings for John Smith. She wound up loving him, which wasn't surprising to him since that character was basically _him,_ only…so much more. But save the similarities, they were entirely different. John could have given her the things that he himself could not - though not really as Rose wasn't _fully_ human anymore.

He took that away from her, too, and it pained him.

No matter how much she fell for John, she could never have that life - all because of _him._ Even his human form knew that all too well, knew how much hurt she's dealt with. She could have had a better life without any pain and misery, but alas, that would never happen.

Finally reaching the TARDIS, he threw the doors open and tugged the Family inside. The girls weren't in the console room, which was good because he really didn't want them to see him as he was right now.

"What are you gonna do to us?" Jenny asked.

The Doctor didn't answer. Instead, he led them down the corridor. Through his mental link with his ship, he asked Her to bring up a room for them to remain locked inside while he took them to their destination. She complied as a door appeared at the end.

Kicking it open, he stepped out of the way and pointed to the entrance. "In," he ordered.

Baines shook his head. "What, you're gonna keep us like _pets-"_

"I said go _in!"_ He shouted, causing what used to be a young man to flinch. This time they obeyed as they entered the room, their steps slow as they struggled with their ropes bounding them.

Slamming the door shut, the Doctor made his way down the corridor to his room. He stopped for a second and placed his hand over the Gallifreyan scripture carved into the door: his name. The pink rose that used to intertwine with it had disappeared. For weeks it's been like this - now _months._ How he wished it would come back. That intense snog after the big explosion was just out of instinct and overall desperation, but he missed her. He wanted - no, _needed_ - to say so much to Rose, but there was a reason why he couldn't bring himself to talk to her just yet.

What if, during the duration of their isolation, she finally came to realize exactly everything she lost because of him and hated him for it? She stressed to John that it was the life she chose, and that she was the happiest she's ever been. Was she really? And even if she was, then if the subject of bonding were to come up, he'd be setting her up with over nine hundred years of guilt, misery, and whatever else at ate his insides.

If that was the case, he really didn't wish to face that hard reality, even if it would eventually come one day.

But…he remembered the words she had said to John: _"It may have cost me my family, my friends, and anyone else who was close to me…but I could never bring myself to resent him for any of that - even if he blames himself for it."_

Not only that, when he made it to the Family's ship he overheard her words before he stumbled in with his clumsy act. Through all the hurt he's given her, she still thought he was the most wonderful man in the world. But was he really a good man? The moment she saw his deepest and darkest secrets lodged inside of him, she'd probably rethink that statement.

Shaking his head, he entered his room. A welcoming hum from the TARDIS came to his attention, and it was beautiful to his ears. Then came another that sounded a little judgemental. He groaned. Once again, She was scolding him.

_"Please don't remind me of my mistakes,"_ he said through their link.

Shockingly, She didn't retort, but She did send a warm hum to settle him down. After changing into his brown pinstriped suit, he headed back out to the console room. The sooner he got rid of these parasites, the better. When he got there, he froze for a moment when he found both Rose and Martha seated on the jump seat back in their modern clothes.

They both turned to face him as he went up to the console. "What are you gonna do with to them?" Martha asked.

"Giving them what they deserve," he answered evenly.

"Which is?"

Truthfully, he was always one to give others chances, but after they almost killed Rose when it was specifically him they were after, any merciful offer was chucked away. Swallowing hard, his words came out shaky. "I'm just going to let them die."

"Doctor-" Rose began.

"Rose, please," he cut in gently as he rounded the console and pulled the lever. "I know what I'm doing. This is the price they paid for the misery they've thrown at us and all of those people. It's the appropriate-"

"No, I know it is," she told him. "I was just gonna say…it's deserving since they're dying anyway. Like mayflies, yeah?"

Though he had his back to them, the Doctor raised his brows at her response. Rose was always one to see the good in people and various creatures alike, but she wasn't giving those parasites any sympathy. She would always stop him if something seemed too cruel, but she agreed with his decision.

The softness in her voice tugged at his hearts. She was content in the months they spent in hiding, as was he. But…he could never want to be a human - not that he meant any offense by that, but he wasn't _himself._ Although, he had to admit there was less pain when he was John. Everything was less…complicated. Despite that, that just wasn't something he found himself doing. Like he said: it wasn't something he'd do long term.

The feel of a hand lightly resting on his back caused him to shiver. He didn't have to glance over to know whose it was. He'd recognize that touch anytime. Even when they were in a point in their relationship where distance was necessary - though at the same time seemed superfluous - she still was there for him. It still astounded him how he would deserve someone as patient as her. He glanced over at her for a moment and nodded.

The TARDIS finally landed at its destination smoothly. Stepping away from the console, the Doctor made his way back into the corridor. He came to the locked room where the Family was and thrust the door open.

"Out," he ordered, gesturing his hand out behind him. Baines looked like he was about to protest again, but he restrained himself. The Doctor glared at them as they passed by him and made their way back into the console room. He went down the ramp and pushed the door open.

He studied them as they looked around their surroundings - back to Apadanzo, the deserted place that was once their home. "You brought us back _here?"_ Jenny asked incredulously.

"Back where it all started," he answered evenly.

"Why?"

"You should already know," the Doctor responded coldly.

"Are you…" Mr. Clarke began. "You're just leaving us to _die?"_

"Yes."

Baines snorted. "You never would," he said smugly. "You're too merciful."

The Doctor stepped up to the boy, looking down on him. "You have _no_ idea of what I'm capable of," he said in a hard yet calm voice. He turned to Mr. Clarke. "I could have wrapped you in unbreakable chains forged in the heart of a dwarf star," he turned to Jenny. "I could have trapped you into the horizon of a collapsing galaxy as imprisonment." He lowered his head to little Lucy. "I could have trapped you inside a mirror - _every_ mirror. If someone were to look at their reflection and see something move behind them just for a second, it'd be _you._ Trapped there with no escape." Finally he came back to Baines. "And as for you…I could have suspended you in Time, forced to watch over the fields of the very land you tried to destroy as their protector. _Forever._

"I could have been kind," he continued. "I _was_ being kind when I hid away so I could bring you no trouble. There were so many punishments, so many things that I could have done to you instead. I could have given you forever in a different alternative out of mercy's sake. But you foiled your chance. Quite frankly, what I'm giving you now honestly doesn't do justice to what I believe you _should_ deserve. But out of the courtesy of the one person who believes in me more than anything, who also believes you should be granted this when she is without a doubt more kind than _I_, this is all you get from me. The only mercy I give you is your death. For all of the misery you've given those innocent lives, including the ones you've embodied, for myself, and especially for the one person that means more to me than anything else in the universe. And if she believes that what I'm doing is right…well, then I've done what's best, as she's _all_ I believe in."

With that, the Doctor turned his back on them and didn't look back as he entered the TARDIS, shutting the doors behind him. The girls were quiet as they stood at the console awaiting his next move.

"Right," he breathed out. "Back to 1913. We've got some check ups to make."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The TARDIS materialized on a hill not too far from the cottage where Joan and Alton were. Martha informed them that Timothy had run back at the school to make sure the other students were alright. She chose to stay behind while the Doctor and Rose decided to see how the adults were taking everything.

"I should talk to them," the Doctor said, taking a deep breath. "Pretty sure they're waiting to see the mad man in person."

"I can talk to Joan," Rose suggested. "You can take Alton. A little easier?"

The Doctor nodded. "Suppose so. Be easy with her. Culture shock and all that."

Rose stepped inside the cottage to find the matron standing by a window with her back to the door and the teacher sitting at the table. "Um, is it okay if I speak to Joan in private?"

Mr. Stewart stood from his seat and went over to her. "Is the Doctor out there?"

"Yeah."

"Good. I've been looking forward to talking with him," he said. "A man that sounds that interesting in stories has got to be a wonder in person."

Rose chuckled. "Oh, he is."

When he left the women alone, Joan asked while still facing the window, "Is it done?"

"Yeah. He took care of it," Rose replied.

Joan nodded. "The police and the army are at the school. The parents have come to take the boys home. I should go, they'll have so many questions. I'm not sure what to say."

"I'm afraid I don't have any answers for that. It comes with our life."

The matron turned around from the window and examined Rose's modern clothes. "Oh, look at what you're wearing."

Rose chuckled. "Not a fan of formal clothing, remember?"

"You look so…fitted," Joan said before shaking her head. "Forgive me, that was rude. Where's Jo-"she caught herself. "You said the Doctor, so that's what I must call him. Where is he though? I mean, John Smith?"

"Somewhere inside the Doctor, I suppose," Rose answered. It had to be true for the majority of similarities they shared.

"Like a story," the matron said. "Could he change back?"

"Yeah, he could."

"Do you think he will?"

"No," Rose assured quickly.

He himself said it was something he wouldn't do long term, and knowing him, he'd probably never want to go through that again. But…what if he did? No, he would never want to lose what defined him as a Time Lord to make himself a human.

Joan studied her. "I see. Though I must say that John was braver than the Doctor in the end, that ordinary man - the Doctor chose to change, John chose to die," she said sadly.

"No, Joan, you don't know what kind of man the Doctor is," Rose said firmly. "John was brave to go through with it, but the bigger picture is that the Doctor has the weight of the entire world on his shoulders. The universe needs him, just like I need him. All of those stories you read? They're _real._ And in each of them, the universe was in danger. But he did what he does best - he _saved_ it."

"You both travel across the stars forever, young Timothy said."

Rose nodded. "Yeah, we do. We've promised to be together forever."

"But John said that he hurt you-"

"It's…complicated," she waved off. "No matter what setbacks or grief we go through, we still care deeply about each other."

"And…you are this Bad Wolf character," Joan drew out slowly. "What does that mean?"

"Again, that's complicated."

Joan shook her head. "I don't think I'll ever understand this life you lead."

Studying the woman, Rose felt sorry for her. Annoying as she was in the beginning, she couldn't help but sympathize. "Then come with us," she suggested softly.

"I'm sorry?"

"Just for one trip, just to see what it's like."

Joan shook her head slightly. "And what would I be to both of you?"

Rose furrowed her brows. "Our companion."

"That's not fair," Joan said.

"I'm just offering-"

"And in the whole time you've been here, you knew how this would end, and yet you strung that poor man along with it."

"Okay, I was being kind to offer you a chance to see how much more there is in the world," Rose said with a firm voice. "I was doing just what the Doctor would because I felt it was the least we could do. You don't know anything about me and him, and everything we've been through."

"Then answer me this. Just one question," Joan said, stepping closer to her. "If the Doctor had never visited us, if he'd never chosen this place on a whim, would anybody here have died?"

Rose remained quiet for a moment. That was true, she had to admit, but that wasn't his fault that vampires were chasing him…and then her.

"Not like this they wouldn't," she answered. "They shouldn't have happened at all, but the entire universe was at stake, and he had to stop them from conquering it. I know it's hard to understand, but so many across the world could've been taken away. It could've been worse."

Joan opened her mouth to speak but shut it almost instantly. "Well…all I can say is that you two must mean the world to each other going by the descriptions we've been told."

Rose nodded. "Thanks. Good luck with all of this."

"And you for living quite a life with such an extraordinary man."

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"Ah, Alton Stewart," the Doctor greeted the history teacher once he came out.

The man smirked. "Well, I must say that it is a pleasure to meet you, sir. So, is everything…taken care of?"

"All handled," he assured.

"Good. Though with the police and the army making their rounds, we won't have a believable explanation for what's happened here."

The Doctor nodded his head and pressed his lips together. "I'm sorry. You'll have to come up with something."

"Well, that should be no trouble," Mr. Stewart said with a chuckle. "What's it feel like?"

"Sorry?"

"How did it feel like to be human?"

The Doctor took a deep breath. "Less…painful. Less…complicating, if I'm honest."

"Given your way of life, I'm not surprised. But…everything from that journal…that's your actual life?"

"As real as ever," the Doctor said. "All of those creatures, and planets, and places - they're all real. So many adventures waiting somewhere across all of those galaxies."

"Does it ever bore you?" The man asked.

"What d'you think?"

Mr. Stewart laughed. "I assumed not. But with all of that out there, of all of the impossible things in existence…there's only one thing that amazes you more than anything."

The Doctor arched an eyebrow at him. "And what's that?"

Mr. Stewart crossed his arms. "I think you know." He nodded at the cottage. "That young woman in there has been through a lot with you, has done things that even you never knew could be possible. No matter how much hurt and grief you give her, she will always be there by your side to help you through the tides of life. _Your_ life. She crawls inside of you and leaves behind a light to chase the darkness that eats at you away."

Oh, how right he was.

The Doctor blinked. "You really _read_ the journal, then."

Mr. Stewart shrugged. "I took a peek or two." He reached in his pocket and pulled out the journal. "I suppose you'll be needing this back."

"No, please, keep it," the Doctor insisted, pushing it back. "Tell them to others. Nothing like a good fairytale every now and then."

"Or what _should_ be fairytales," the man corrected before putting away the journal.

"You seem to accept things rather quickly, Mr. Stewart."

"Well, when you're raised by a mother who happens to be a literature teacher, you're bound to have an imagination."

The cottage door creaked open, both Rose and Joan stepping out.

"Nurse Refern, how are you?" The Doctor asked.

"I-I'm doing well. Thank you," she looked at both him and Rose. "Thank you both."

"By the stories you've written, I say you two are the most magnificent beings in the universe," Mr. Stewart added, coming to stand beside Joan.

"Who are you two? I mean…what are you really?"

"Oh," The Doctor glanced down at Rose, and smiled faintly. "The stuff of legend."

"I believe it," Mr. Stewart remarked.

After saying their goodbyes, the matron and the teacher went back to the cottage while the Doctor and Rose made their way back to the TARDIS. Out of instinct, he reached for her hand, almost expecting her to recoil at first contact, but she surprised him when she took it.

Warmth spread inside of him, feeling like they were back to their normal groove. Of course, right now so much still needed to be said between them, but as he didn't have the courage to do so at the moment, the least he could do was recognize what she always did for him.

Light rain began to fall as they passed over a hill, where the Doctor came to a complete stop. "Rose…" he began.

She looked at him, and his hearts clenched. These past months have taken a toll on her, but it's been like that prior to this whole Family mess. While he wanted to say so much to her, all he could offer her was a simple gesture.

Tugging her arm gently, he brought her close for a hug and shuddered inside. He missed this so much. "Thank you," he said quietly.

"For what?"

"Believing in me."

"It's what I do, innit?" she said, patting his back.

"It's not _all_ you do," he responded. When he pulled away, he studied her face as the light raindrops splashed over her skin and dampened her hair. Ever so hesitantly he raised a hand to brush back a strand before leaning down to press a light kiss to her forehead. "We should really work on _your_ sacrificial methods, too," he said sternly but lightly.

A small smile appeared on her lips, and he warmed up inside. Pretty soon, he hoped they could go back to the way things were. But he was a little hesitant about the upcoming talk and what the outcome would be.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Continuing their way back to the TARDIS, a few more moments later the beautiful ship was in their sights and Martha waiting outside.

"Right then, molto bene," the Doctor called out, releasing Rose's hand before burying both of his in his pockets.

"How were they?" Martha asked.

"Fine," Rose answered. "They seemed to take everything well…for the most part. Especially Mr. Stewart."

"Yeah," the Doctor said, turning his head to look at the distant countryside. "Time we moved on." He turned back to face the girls. "Oh, and I never said…" he offered a small smile. "Thanks for looking after me. Both of you."

He went over to the girls and wrapped his arms around both of them. They've been through so much in these months, and they were patient.

"Doctor, Rose, Martha!" An approaching voice got their attention as the Doctor released the girls, turning to see the young lad who played a big part in saving the day.

"Tim-Timothy-Timber!" the Doctor called with a smile.

"I just wanted to say goodbye…and thank you," Tim said. "Because I've seen the future and I now know what must be done. It's coming, isn't it? The biggest war ever."

"You don't have to fight," Rose told him.

Tim nodded. "I think we do."

"But you could get hurt," Martha added.

"Well, so could you two travelling around with him," he said, gesturing at the Doctor. "But it's not going to stop you." He turned to Rose. "Especially you, Miss Tyler."

Rose chuckled and nodded. "Fair enough. You're very brave, so if it's what you believe is right, then go ahead."

The Doctor studied the boy for a moment before reaching in his pocket, pulling out the fob watch and holding it out. "Tim, I'd be honored if you'd take this."

Tim took the watch and stared at it. "I can't hear anything."

"No, it's just a watch now, but keep it with you. For good luck."

The boy smiled at him before Martha stepped forward and gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "Look after yourself."

When she pulled back, Rose came forward. "You're a good kid, Tim. Or should I say…a good young _man."_ He smiled at her as she bent down to give him a hug as well. "Take care, Tim. And thanks for everything." She gave him a kiss on the cheek when she pulled away.

"And you, Miss Tyler," the boy said genuinely. "Thanks for being there for me all those times."

"Always," she patted his shoulder.

The Doctor held the TARDIS door open for both women, and grinned proudly at Rose. She always found the good in people, always showed her compassion for others, and it always made him warm inside to know how good of a heart she had.

"Goodbye Timothy Latimer," he said as the girls made their way in. Before he followed, he turned to the boy and grinned. "You'll like this bit."

Closing the door behind him, he ran up to the console and sent them off in the vortex, and enjoyed the wondrous look on Tim's face on the monitor as dematerialized.

"Now where?" The Doctor asked.

"I've got a place," Rose suggested.

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_"'They mingle not with laughing comrades again,_

_they sit no more at familiar tables of home._

_They have no lot in our labor of the daytime, _

_they sleep beyond England's foam.'"_

Timothy Latimer, now an old man, sat in a wheelchair outside in front of the soldier's memorial service on Remembrance Day, listening sadly as the Vicar read words from a script. The Great War was indeed saddening as its shadow crossed over Britain, all of those cold nights laying in the mud and surrounded by wire as bombs rocked the skies above, rubble raining down on the fallen soldiers. Even now the memory was aching as the imagery still so lifelike like that of a movie reel.

_"'They went with songs to the battle,_

_they were young, straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow._

_They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted,_

_they fell with their faces to the foe.'"_

Looking up a small smile grazed his lips when he caught sight of three familiar faces of the wonderful travellers who he had met so long ago, though appeared to not have aged a day. Rose Tyler, who wore a poppy on her top, stood beside the Doctor and pinned one onto his lapel, and Martha Jones was next to him.

Reaching into his pocket, Tim pulled out the familiar watch, his good luck token, tracing the circular shapes with his thumb. He raised his eyes to find all three of the travelers smiling softly at him. Tears welled up in his eyes as he watched them from afar while the Vicar finished the reading.

_"'They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old, _

_age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. _

_At the going down of the sun and in the morning, _

_we will remember them."_


	39. Drastic Measures

**A/N: Okay, post-Family. Let's see how this goes. I was a little iffy about this chapter mainly 'cause I was trying to work out exactly how they'd be after everything. Hopefully this is okay. Apologies if it's…off. **

**As always, thank you to the lovely reviewers and followers! You all deserve cookies lol Your feedback brightens my day ;) **

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_**Chapter 39: Drastic Measures**_

The service memorial for the soldiers tugged at the heartstrings to say the least. But there was no denying the bravery and dedication each of those soldiers had when, at the time of the war, they were in the middle of Hell. It was a pleasure to see the kind of man young Tim had become.

Martha sat down on the jump seat while the Doctor and Rose made their way around the console, him fiddling with controls while she stood off to the side. Studying them, she felt a little relief to see them standing within a few inches of each other without recoiling, so that was a good sign. Earlier, he had made a move and actually hugged her, and Rose had said that he had kissed her after he saved her life…yet again. So that was also some progress.

She couldn't help but smile a little at them. But it wasn't enough.

After two months of bitterness, these two still had so much to talk about. It was never the same without the exuberant couple, the dynamic duo, two of the most wonderful people in the world bouncing around the ship. If she herself was impatient and eager for them to reconcile, then they were obviously tearing themselves apart with this whole distance thing. Before the whole Family situation, she talked privately, and they both missed each other, but couldn't bring themselves to admit it to each other.

Even the TARDIS disliked the situation greatly. It was always Her and Martha having to deal with their distance, and it only made the atmosphere turn into one of solemnity.

And right now, she wasn't letting them slip by.

Standing from the jump seat, she grabbed a hold of their arms and tugged them along, ignoring their surprised faces. "Martha," the Doctor said warily. "W-what are you doing?"

She didn't answer as she led them down the corridor and to another room. Kicking the door open, she pulled both of them inside. It was empty with no furniture whatsoever and blank walls with a few coral struts placed in the corners.

"I'm gonna go and make some tea and I expect the two of you to talk like mature, proper _adults," _Martha told them sternly, sounding very much like a mother.

"Martha," Rose began. "We-"

_"No,_ I don't wanna hear it," she said firmly. "You two aren't leaving this room til you work things out."

The Doctor looked at her in shock. "This is _my_ ship! We could come and go as we please!"

Martha put her hands on her hips. "Tough. You're staying here and that's final. The TARDIS will make sure either of you make a getaway."

They both didn't make eye contact with her when she left. As she's held the title of the mediator before, mainly when having to deal with her parents, she hoped they could patch things up, because she honestly didn't want to have to resort to such drastic measures with those two, but if it was necessary, she wasn't hesitating.

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Truthfully, a nice cup of tea would do Rose some good. For two months she's had to deal with the school's kind, which was just very bland. Of course nothing could compare with the essentials of the TARDIS. But now that she was alone with the Doctor, she was hoping to at least talk a little about…everything.

Biting her lip, she looked up at the Doctor whose hands were buried in his deep pockets and kept his gaze fixed on his shoes. A zapping noise got their attention as the door they had came through suddenly vanished. He whipped around and muttered something indistinct as he went over to the blank space that was now just a wall.

Locked in a room with no escape. Never thought they'd have to get into such situations.

"That's different," Rose commented.

The Doctor swallowed hard. He figured this would be coming soon. Even before the whole Family mess, he knew she'd eventually try to approach him. If not her, then he would…if he wasn't so afraid of what exactly she would say to him, that is. So many things on his mind were just itching to come out. There was so much he had to say to her, but choosing exactly what to start with was making things even more difficult.

"I didn't keep you safe," he murmured.

"What?" she asked, walking up to him.

"I assured your safety, and you wound up being in even _more_ danger."

Rose sighed. "Doctor, stop-"

"No, I _can't_ stop beating myself over this, Rose," he said quickly as he whirled around to face her. "How can you disregard the fact that your life was in just as much danger as mine? The whole purpose of that bracelet was to keep you hidden - to mask your scent from those parasites so they wouldn't come after you, and it _didn't."_ He let out a mirthless chuckle. "That's just the luck we've got, isn't it? Everything we assume will be fine ends up ruining it instead."

That was their life. More specifically, that was _his_ life - when things are going good, something gets in the way and makes it worse.

"Why couldn't you have just let me use the Arch?" Rose asked. "I could've changed with you-"

"No, I…" he pressed his lips together and sighed through his nose. "I told you that I'd never forgive myself for putting you through any of that. It's…too much. I thought - no, I was _sure_ that the bracelet would work, I really was. It was a better alternative than to have every single one of your cells rewritten. But…" he shook his head before raising a hand to scratch his neck. "Doesn't matter. They were locked onto my trail so tight they were bound to find me eventually. And even if you were to change, they'd come after you anyways."

Rose studied him. No matter what, he always cared about her safety and tried to do it in the most painless of ways. For that, she'd always have respect for him and love him for it.

She came closer to him and placed a hand on his arm. "Listen," she said softly. "I know you're upset about that, and to be honest I wasn't too thrilled about being found either. But look at it this way - everything came out right in the end, yeah?"

"Did it really?" he asked quietly, uncertain.

"Don't you think so?"

He closed his eyes for a moment. All he wanted was for things to be back to the way they were, with no worries or doubts - just peaceful bliss. Just to feel her in his arms and be lost in her warmth, to kiss her just for the hell of it because they could do it whenever they wanted, to just…be together _properly._

Rose herself was hoping they could get themselves out of this funk they've been in. Two weeks without closeness was enough to make her itchy and impatient, but then two months of isolation from their lives - well, that only seemed to make her need him even more. Desperate as it sounded and felt, she just needed him.

Though that whole marriage thing John brought up was still buzzing around in her head, there was another thing that poked at her curiosity. "What did it feel like? To be human?" she asked. Surely that had to be some kind of overwhelming experience for him.

The Doctor registered her question and answered it in his head. _Painless, odd, a life without worries or the weight of the world pressing down on his head._

"Like a really vivid dream," he said out loud. That was all the truth it was. "Similar to the ones in the journal."

"So…you remember everything then?"

He inhaled a deep breath and released it through his nose and hesitantly nodded. From the first time he saw Rose working as the librarian - and saved her from being crushed by a falling bookshelf, which to be honest was expected as she's so unbelievably jeopardy friendly, and to the village hall event where they slowly danced in each other's arms. He remembered it all.

Especially that moment where he blurted out that he had wanted to marry her. Well, _John_ wanted to marry her. But if he was being technical, he's been longing to bond with her himself, which in simple terms _is_ essentially the equivalent of marriage. That is, once again, if she was even able to contain one. It was like a craving that was getting harder to steady when he was around her, but he would never force her into it if she never wanted it.

"You were happy," he said quietly.

"What?" Rose asked.

He shook his head and turned to the side to avoid her gaze. He wasn't in the mood to rehash on that, but since they were on the topic, it just came out. "You were the happiest you've been since…our…break," he trailed off before adding with a whisper, "Both of us were."

"Doctor…" How could she respond to that? Truthfully, it _was_ the most at ease she's been since their last spat, but most of the time she's dealt with the struggle of getting to close to John Smith. "Maybe we were, but that wasn't our life, and it wasn't easy for me to adjust to any of that," she told him.

"It seemed like it," he said regretfully. "But then again, none of that would've mattered since you could never have that life anyway."

"I never _wanted-"_

"You _could_ have," he cut in. "Had you not met me, you could have had the ideal human life, and for a short while, you were. But it could never be regardless since you're not human anymore. Because of _me."_

"How many times do I have to tell you that I _never_ wanted to live my life like that?"

"Rose, I saw it in your eyes," he said gently. "For a split second, you wished you could've had that life with…_him."_

"You don't know that," she answered firmly.

He tilted his head before lowering it to stare at the ground. "Maybe not…but in time, you might realize exactly what you've lost."

"Oh, my God," Rose breathed out, backing away and holding a hand over her eyes. She wasn't in the mood to have another row, especially now since she's missed him all this time. "Doctor, why can't you understand…" she shook her head and sighed. This was ending up like their other conversations about her spending forever with him. He'd brood over something, she'd tell him not to beat himself over it, he'd sulk and say otherwise…

Et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. It was like kicking a dead horse.

The main thing that was on her mind was most likely one of the main things that was eating away at him, but she was curious to know. She answered it to Joan, but what would he say? "Would you have stayed?" she asked when she turned back to him.

"What do you mean?"

She took a deep breath and tried again. "Would you have chosen to stay human, _really?"_

A muscle worked in his jaw. "Rose…" he said quietly.

"Just…answer it," she told him evenly. "You could change back, yeah?"

"Yes," he answered after a moment.

"But _would_ you?"

He raised his head to face her, an eyebrow arched. "Does it matter now?"

Rose shrugged a shoulder. "No, but-"

"Then it's nothing to worry about," he said casually.

_Here we go again,_ she thought in her mind. Of course he'd divert from the topic. It was what he did best - sometimes rather than give her a straight answer, he'd find a way to run away from a conversation.

"Doctor, I know it really doesn't matter now since you've changed back. But I was just wondering 's all." He remained silent. "If you're thinking that I'd rather spend my life with _John_ simply because he was a human that could supposedly give me everything that you couldn't…then you should know that I stand by my feelings as I always have. Even if I _was_ fully human I could never love him the way that I love _you."_ Her heart clenched when she said those words - words she hasn't said directly to him for months. "I've told you time and time again that I chose _you,_ Doctor. You as you are."

"But he _was_ me…in a sense," he stressed. "If you weren't…like yourself…then you could've had that life. The one that I couldn't give you."

Stepping closer to him, she placed her hands on his forearms, feeling him stiffen at her touch before easing up after a moment once she pulled them up to retrieve his hands from his pockets. "But that's not the life I wanted. It never was. You really think I'd be able to stay in one place at one time?"

He blinked. "No…but I thought…"

"The man that John was wasn't one hundred percent _you,_ Doctor," she said softly. "He was a _part_ of you. It was like staring into the eyes of a stranger who looked just like the man that I love. While in that time, I tried not to get too attached to him." The Doctor was about to speak, but she held up a hand to stop him. "Wait. Lemme finish. I knew how the whole thing would end, with him…dying. As much as I tried not to get too close to him, I couldn't help but be drawn to him. Because _that_ was very _you_ - the man with the charismatic, magnetic personality…and really great hair." He smirked. "But between him and you, you should know who I'd always choose."

She placed a hand on his chest between his hearts, the lovely double beat thumping underneath her touch. For two months that beautiful rhythm was absent, but to feel it once again made her insides warm up. He looked down and let go of her hand, resting his own over hers.

"In a way, I felt like I was taking advantage of you in that state," she continued in a quiet voice. "I just needed to be around you. But he wasn't _really_ you. It wasn't like when you first regenerated when I knew it was still _you._ You were different but had similarities. But I could never love that man the way I do for you, Doctor."

The Doctor stared at her, his lips twitching as he tried to form a response. "I didn't want you to feel that way," he said. "To feel like you were…betraying me, or yourself…_us_. Believe me, I didn't want that whole situation to even happen, but I couldn't shake those bloody parasites off of our trail and it was the only way."

"Yeah, I know. And about them…I thought you'd be upset at me."

His brows furrowed. "What about? For throwing yourself at the Family?"

"Well, yeah. But not only that. The fact that I lost the watch," she said in a small voice. "You trusted me to keep it with me, and I wound up losing it. A bunch of people died 'cause we couldn't restore you fast enough," she lowered her head. "It all would have been over sooner than it did."

Nothing hurt the Doctor more than when he had to see that certain look on Rose's face, the one where she blames herself for things that happened. Most of the time, it was _him_ that was the cause of it, which only made him feel worse for doing so to her, but lots of the time none of it was by her fault.

"Hey," he said softly, raising a hand to cradle her cheek. _"None_ of that was your fault, Rose. It was just an unfortunate circumstance. Accidents happen."

"But-"

"No," he cut in. "As much as I was hoping to avoid any of that mayhem from even happening, I should have known better when they were chasing me at such a fast rate for them to try and locate us. I was being kind and tried to deal with them in the most merciful of ways, but what they brought upon themselves was by their doing. It didn't matter whether you lost the watch or not 'cause they were just ruthless parasites who would have taken lives regardless if I opened it sooner or later."

He lightly brushed his thumb over her cheekbone as he continued. "I've told you so many times to never belittle yourself into thinking you're unhelpful or worthless, because you're _not,_ Rose. You stood up for me, those boys, and most of all yourself, and I'll always admire your consideration for others."

"But I let you go out there in the battle," Rose reminded. "I let you hold a gun, Doctor. You're so adamant about not wielding one, and I…I let you go out there. I mean, _John."_

"But if I remember correctly - which I do, for the most part - he didn't fire," he said softly. "When you tried to stop him, he considered your words, and deep down he knew how much he hated weapons. He may have held the gun, but he didn't fire…because he _couldn't. _You helped him see that. You did what you do best - you stopped him…you stopped _me."_

Even through all the bitterness still between them, she managed to be herself and stop him from doing something he'd never forgive himself for doing. Speaking of which…

"You really meant what you said back there, on the ship?" he asked.

"Which part?"

"Well…everything," he answered. "Also about me and…Canary Wharf…about…losing them."

"You mean how I'll never blame you for everything that happened and caused me to lose everyone that was close to me and that you're the most wonderful man in the universe no matter how much you don't believe it yourself?" He swallowed hard and nodded. "Of course I meant it, Doctor. Despite the things that you do or say, even if you beat yourself over it, you're still a good man. And about Canary Wharf, I've told you that countless times that it was never your fault. It was bloody Torchwood. Do you remember what my mum said when we saw her last?"

"That she'll tear apart two universes just to slap me across the face if I didn't keep you safe," he answered.

Rose smiled widely for the very first time since before their fallout, and he couldn't help but mirror it on his own face. "Not that. She was supportive of us and accepted our relationship 'cause she knew how happy were are together. And despite all of the pain we had to go through, she wanted us to remain that way. Then I told her to be happy too."

"But she'll never see you again," the Doctor said, lowering his gaze.

Rose moved her hand off of his chest to rest on his cheek. "I know that, but I'll know she's safe where she is. She's got Pete, and Mickey, and…the baby. They're all alive, and that's what matters the most. They've got each other just like we've got us."

The Doctor blinked once. That was true. Though Rose may never see them ever again, they were still safe and sound in that parallel world. It was one of the reasons why he sent Rose there, to be out of harm's way. But while there was still a small notion in his head saying she probably was better off in that world, he ignored it as he was grateful she was still here with him.

Until the day should come when she saw his deepest secrets and could possibly be scarred for life…

No. Now was not the time to dwell on any of that. That itch in the back of his head, which was growing to be a slight pain if he was honest, would always be there, but right now they were patching up some of the issues between them.

"I understand mostly _everything_ in the universe, just about any kind of subject known to creation," the Doctor stated before finishing with a softer tone. "And yet the one thing that I'll _never_ be able to comprehend is exactly how you manage to do…what you do to me. How can you even stand me, Rose?"

"Someone has to," she said with a teasing grin.

He chuckled softly. It always baffled him that no matter how much he shamefully hurt her, she never blamed him for any of it. Modest as she is, he himself couldn't believe that. But then again, she always enjoyed proving him wrong.

"We're really desperate to make up, aren't we?" She said lightly.

The Doctor tugged at his earlobe. "Well…I reckon we're getting there." He let out a sigh. "Rassilon, I'm rubbish at these things. I don't do…relationships well," he said sheepishly.

Rose let out a dramatic sigh. "Oh, and you were doing so well."

"What?"

"You daft, old alien," she said with a smile. "I know how hard all of this is for you, but it works _both_ ways. I'm along on this ride too."

"I know, but…" he shook his head. "You deserve so much _more."_

"So do _you,"_ she said sincerely.

Relationships were always never really anything he could handle well. Even so long ago, he was struggling with coupling back at home especially with his wife. That marriage was arranged for the purpose of passing down genetics in the looming process to create the future for Gallifrey, and anything lesser than perfect proved to be a liability. He never wanted to live like that. It always seemed wrong to have a relationship with someone that was only joined with you for political and genetic manipulation.

But the problem was he never knew for certain how to have a _proper_ one. And with him having one with Rose, a _human_ - a genetically advanced one that is - made him even more anxious. But despite that, one thing was certain.

"No," he breathed out.

Her brows furrowed. "What?"

"To answer your question from earlier…no. I wouldn't change back," he took a deep breath. "Not if it meant that everything you are and all of the things we did were all just _dreams_ in a _journal."_

A small smile appeared on her lips. "Same here," she said.

She studied him for a moment before wrapping her arms around his neck. He inwardly sighed as he returned the hug, feeling a small sense of peace after everything that's happened between them. But there was still so much he had to talk to her about - mainly the itch in the back of his mind telling him to bond with her.

"You never told me you had artistic abilities," she mentioned.

He hummed. "Do you expect me to spoil all of the surprises for you?"

"You know I hate guessing an' stuff," she said. "Have you always been able to draw, or is it just with this body?"

"Weeeell, not _always._ Some of my past incarnations had the skills, and the rest…well, let's just say I lost the ability."

Rose chuckled and he smiled. How he loved that sound. "Wait, what about the journal?" she asked. "Where's it gone?"

"Oh, I just let Alton keep it," he said dismissively. "No need for it now. He's a lover of literature, so he could just tell them as stories."

"So you left behind all of those sketches?"

"Not every one," he said quietly. Pulling himself out of her arms he reached into his trouser pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper from the journal. "There was one specific page I kept."

He handed it over to her, which she took before gingerly opening it. Rose gasped softly at the sketch he had taken: it was a portrait of her in front of the fireplace in their guest room at Noel. Her eyes were shining bright, reflecting off of the firelight with a sweet smile on her face. He even drew the silly elf jumper she wore along with the magical mistletoe. It was…beautiful.

"Every one of our adventures could be told as fairytales as pleased," he said softly, tapping a finger on the paper. "But I wanted this one to remain between _us."_

Rose didn't know what to say. Of all of the great places they've been that John wrote down in the journal, he took the most private and loving one. "Doctor…"

"I know, I know," he said quickly, tugging at his earlobe. "Maybe it should have stayed in the journal 'cause it was one of the more special adventures, and people would certainly be amused to hear a story about a Christmas planet instead of the North Pole, or-"

"Doctor," Rose cut in, prompting him to stop talking. "'S beautiful."

That was a bit of relief. "So…are we…?" he trailed off.

"Good?" she supplied.

His hands made their way into his pockets. "Yeah."

Rose folded the sketch and put it in her back pocket. There were still things they had to work out, but for right now they could chuck away their break. She nodded once then looped her arms back around his neck, her head resting between his hearts. He ducked his head down and nuzzled her hair before placing a kiss to her temple.

"I couldn't wait til it was all over," she told him. "I hated having to hide away from our normal lives and have to be surrounded by…snobs."

He couldn't help but laugh at that. Rose always had a distaste for being around those judgemental higher class types that always looked down on those below them as if they were nothing.

"Well, thank the TARDIS for that," he joked. "She chose the place."

Rose snorted when the Old Girl hummed defensively, causing both of them to laugh lightly. "I've missed you," she whispered.

"Quite right, too," he answered quietly.

The Doctor pulled back and placed two fingers under her chin to bring her back up to face him. "Rose…I'm sorry," he said quietly. "Sorry about hurting you and making you feel unimportant, because you're _not."_ He lowered his eyes for a moment. "I can't guarantee that it'll be better all the way…" he sighed. "I'm rubbish at this…you…you're everything to me. You're don't deserve any of that, much like I don't deserve you. You're so…so many things - you're the best part of me, and I don't say it enough like I should. But…I _do_ love you, Rose. It doesn't do justice to how I really feel, but I _do."_

Rose smiled warmly before lifting her hands to ruffle his beautiful hair. "Quite right, too."

Studying her for a moment he bent down to give her a gentle kiss. While John may have stolen a few kisses of his own, nothing felt more right than as they were now. For over two months, he's longed to be able to kiss her again, to hold her in his arms, and now he finally felt the tranquility he's missed. He sighed as he splayed his own across her back and pulled her closer. It started out slow, but then it deepened into the passion they haven't shown each other since their isolation. The second she raked her nails down his scalp, he let out a small growl as he raised a hand to cradle her jaw, angling her just right as he poured out his apology into her.

Well, he never imagined _this_ happening. Or…perhaps he did, but definitely not so _soon._ Especially after everything that's occurred in the last two months. Judging by this intensity, it's all been building up since their little break from each other, which was expected since they've rarely had too much distance between them, even more since their trip to Noel.

The whole John Smith situation kept buzzing in his mind, more specifically the admittance to a marriage proposal to Rose. He remembered her stupefied expression, and all he could think about right now was exactly how she'd react when he was finally to tell her about the bonding. Would she be shocked that he did it at all, or would it be too much for her?

The only way was to try…but he didn't want to bring it up now - even though he could already feel the ache in the back of his mind starting to grow along with the craving as they continued this.

Finding some bit of control the Doctor broke the kiss and rested his forehead against Rose's, his eyes searching hers while his head throbbed. He knew that she gave off an effect on him, but something in him snapped. Oh, this ache was going to break him.

She laughed breathlessly before clearing her throat. "We got carried away, didn't we?"

"Maybe a bit," he husked.

Before either of them could say anything else, they heard a chuckle behind them. Whirling around, they saw Martha standing in the doorway that suddenly reappeared with a smile on her face.

The Doctor groaned while Rose blushed. "I thought you were making tea," she said.

Martha shrugged. "I did," she answered casually.

"H-How long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough to see that you two are working things out well."

"Yeah…" the Doctor said, glancing back over to Rose. "We're getting there."

"Good. 'Cause this place has been upsetting without you two bouncing around together."

"Ya know, Doctor," Rose said. "Don't you think Martha deserves some…pampering? I mean…she dealt with a lot too."

"I suppose it's fair enough," he agreed. "There's plenty of resort planets that offer special treatments-"

"Oh, I think she needs something more than that for what she had to deal with," Rose said with a sly grin.

The Doctor arched a brow. "Ehm…"

Martha snorted. "Having to be your maid for two months should entitle me for some repaying."

"What?"

Rose giggled. "I think a maid outfit would look good on you, Doctor," she teased.

His brows shot up to his hairline while his voice came out in an unmanly squeak. _"What!?"_ He groaned again. "Oh, Roooose…"

Both girls snickered. "Okay, I'll let you forgo the uniform," Martha said. "But you have to serve me for about a week."

"A _week?"_

"Oh, yeah. I scrubbed floors, folded your clothes, brought you food - which, by the way, included pears."

At the very mention of that forbidden fruit the Doctor's eyes widened in horror, causing Rose to double over in a laughing fit. _"WHAT!?"_

"Don't have a hearts attack," she managed to get out. "Lucky for you, you didn't eat any of them."

"Ohhh, we couldn't have that," he said, letting out a breath of relief. "I wouldn't wanna wake up in three months and have to taste _that,"_ he said, pulling a disgusted face.

"Then you should be thankful she didn't let one slip into your grasp."

The Doctor made another whining sound as his body sagged. He went over to the corner of the room and rested his forehead against a coral strut. "Is this my punishment for…everything?" he complained.

Rose couldn't contain herself as she laughed again. Still, she humored him and rubbed his back comfortingly. "Could be worse, yeah?"

He huffed as he straightened himself up. The TARDIS hummed, and he looked at her accusingly. Even She approved of this. That wasn't surprising. He's always being ganged up by the girls in here.

He watched as both women skipped happily down the corridor. Slowly but surely, everything would go back to the way it was - after he was made to deal with the humility of being a servant. Brilliant. Not only that, but the urge to form a bond was increasing the more he pushed it off. How was he going to bring the whole thing up?

Rassilon, help him.

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**Yeaaah, I got carried away lol I couldn't help it. But guys, a little heads up…it's not gonna be _that_ simple.**


	40. My Body is a Cage

**A/N: Don't you love the feeling you get when you hear a particular song(s) and they can relate to characters so well? Well…I've got a whole playlist for Ten/Rose and I'm not ashamed by it.**

**Parts of this chapter were heavily inspired by two songs: "What If" by Safetysuit and the song of the same name of this chapter, mainly the Peter Gabriel cover which I prefer. It's just so amazing and gives me the chills. ****If that doesn't fit the Doctor…**

**Anyways, you don't have to pay any mind to my song references at whatnot. It's a habit of mine since I've constantly got music in my ears and have cases of earworm ^^**

**A****s always many thanks to all of you lovely reviewers and followers! Your feedback is greatly appreciated ;D**

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_**Chapter 40: My Body is a Cage**_

_One week later_

Finally getting some down time, the Doctor lay in his bed. The past week had flown by fairly quickly as the three travellers remained in the TARDIS, drifting in the vortex while they took a much deserved rest - all except the Doctor, who was put to work in being their servant to repay the girls for having to deal with him as a human for two months.

Never did he imagine himself - a nine hundred year old _Time Lord_ with all of Time and Space at his fingertips, known as the Oncoming Storm - carrying trays of food and doing other laborious tasks. How scarily…_domestic._ Of course he had absolutely no way of getting out of doing so, as he was outnumbered three to one by the girls - the TARDIS included. How was it that he could easily lose control of his own ship?

Though he _was_ grateful to retain _some_ dignity when he was told that he didn't have to wear a bloody _maid outfit._

A hum sounding far too similar to a laugh came in his mind, prompting him to frown at the ceiling. None of the girls would ever make him live this down, much to his humiliation. Luckily this week was coming to an end and they could all be on their merry way and back out to explore.

Things between him and Rose seemed to go back to the way things were after their distance apart…somewhat. On the plus side they've returned to doing simple things like kissing and cuddling, and went back to their old sleeping arrangement where she shares his bed, and now it was once again _their_ room, which he was more than satisfied with since the atmosphere was lacking without her presence.

At the very moment he was laying on his side, admiring the pleasant sight of a peaceful sleeping Rose, something he had missed for some time. The carving of the pink rose that intertwined with his name written in Gallifreyan on his door reappeared among other things.

Granted, there were still some things he needed to tell her, more specifically the whole bonding situation. What started out as an itch that could easily be brushed aside without any concern only grew into a hot burn spot in the back of his mind that wouldn't fade or be brushed aside no matter how hard he tried. He knew all too well that he needed to initiate the link with her sooner than he originally thought, but he was reluctant to bring up the whole thing, especially now that they've been at peace after more than two nerve racking months of bitterness.

All the while his mind was screaming at him to stop being a coward and just tell her about the bond then test it out to see if she was capable of containing one.

Even the TARDIS continued scolding him because of his hesitation and fears. She's known about the itch since it first started after Noel, and was undoubtedly acceptable of it. The Old Girl's always been fond of Rose, so of course She'd be all for it. It wasn't that he didn't want it either, because he _did._ Rassilon knows how _desperately_ he's wanted it - no, more like he's _craved_ it. But, once again, he's tried to be patient with it all when it was just a simple itching feeling. Only now, it was making itself known and pressed hard against his mind like a hot weight.

The sound of a soft snore escaping Rose unphased him causing him to smile. Watching her sleep was always a pleasure, but he's always been curious to know what little fantasies were running around in her head in her state of slumber. The moment they were to bond - or at least _try_ at first to see if it was possible - he'd be able to feel the emotions emitting from her dreams and thoughts, as she would do for him. Just imagining it was enough to make him want to create it even more, but he wouldn't do it now.

He's been patient this whole time in dealing with the wait, but it had to happen soon, it just _had_ to. Frightening as it was, it would also be something beautiful for both of them to share. How huge this would be.

But the more he marveled at her beauty in the darkness of the room, the more he could feel his demons chattering away somewhere in one of the corners of his mind. Gazing upon her relaxed features pained him knowing that he had hurt her countless times, and if she were to hold the heavy burdens that weighed down on him then have to live forever with them with _no_ chance of going back…

The Doctor let out a deep breath through his nose as he lifted up his hand to lightly brush away a strand of her hair that had fallen over her face, his fingers ghosting over her temple. He froze for a moment, hearing the beating of his hearts pound in his ears, almost amplifying the burning at the base of his skull. The very place where everything could be unlocked and poured both in and out was right there.

Tempting as it was, he'd never bring himself to initiate something so permanent without her consent, and especially while she was currently in the most vulnerable state. It would be immoral and wrong, and he'd _definitely_ never forgive himself for that. And without a doubt she'd resent him for dumping that weight onto her without her awareness, much less after witnessing every single one of his regrets.

What if what he wanted was the very thing that would ruin her life for good despite her strong will and it being for his own desperate needs?

There'd be no way she could repair that damage, no matter how brilliant he was at fixing things. She was right when she had said he was too broken and too much of a coward to deal with his demons himself. While she fired that shot at him during a heated argument over his selfishness and doubts and her stubbornness and persistence, deep down he sensed she didn't mean that…but that didn't mean it wasn't _true._

The TARDIS hummed comfortingly in his mind, and he relaxed. Dropping his hand from Rose's temple he rested it on the small space between them on the bed. He carefully reached for her hand and softly brushed his thumb over her knuckles. A small smile grazed her lips and it warmed his insides. He may still have his fears over what exactly the future held for them, but as long as she was by his side, maybe she could do what she always did - light up his darkness like the shining star that she was.

All he can do for now was wait until she was ready for him, and for the whirlwind awaiting to come over them both if the bonding was possible. At least wait until _he_ was able to give in himself.

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A warm hum from the TARDIS woke up Rose as she let out a yawn and groaned. For once she's finally been able to catch up on her sleep cycle after having to be tormented with painful images of the Doctor in pain when he made the change to become human months ago. Still, at least _some_ rest was received to the point where she felt better. Of course, returning to the Doctor's bed had helped along with that.

Speaking of which, where was he?

Sitting upright, she looked over to his side of the bed to find that his jacket and trainers were gone. No surprise. He's so jittery that Rose wouldn't put it past him to run around the TARDIS with all of that bouncy energy speeding through his body. But she couldn't help but notice how…uneasy he's been. Thankfully he wasn't distancing himself from her again, and that was a relief. He's just been…she honestly didn't know how to describe it, but something was bothering him, she could tell.

When she first went over to ask him if something was wrong he assured he was alright - which was always the answer he gave despite whatever he was feeling inside - but she didn't buy it. Still, she wasn't going to push the issue. Definitely not now after they've reconciled for the most part. She didn't fancy starting up another row, so instead she took his word for once and let him be.

The past week had been peaceful if not enlightening to see the Doctor having to be a servant. It would have been even more enjoyable to see him forced to wear a maid's uniform just for kicks and giggles, but that was more than enough of a debt for him to pay.

_Maybe some other time,_ she thought wickedly.

No doubt Martha enjoyed it while it lasted. After everything that's happened in the last two months she deserved a little relaxation. And after having to sit around and linger in the glum atmosphere following the fallout, some happiness was a definite need for all of them. Now that the week was over, now they could venture out into the stars to a brand new world.

Rose made her way over to the wardrobe and picked out her clothes and got herself dressed. When she finished, she directed her attention to the ceiling. "Where's the Doctor, Old Girl?"

The TARDIS sent an image of him in the galley preparing some kind of meal. Saying her thanks and patting the wall, she made her way out of their room and into the corridor. Once she got there she noticed that Martha had yet to wake up. Striding in she plopped down in one of the stools at the table, getting his attention immediately.

"Ah, you're finally awake," he said, holding a pan in his one hand and some kind of tool in the other.

Rose rubbed her eye with a finger and sighed. "Not that I really felt like waking up just yet."

The Doctor tsked. "Old habits," he commented. "Even with an advanced sleep cycle you're still not a morning person. And you were doing _so_ well…"

"Shut up," she told him, making him chuckle. "And you didn't even try to wake me up? That's odd for you, you never waste an opportunity to toss me outta bed."

He tilted his head. "Well, that's true. You bury yourself so deep in your blanket burrow, you could end up lost." He turned back to the stove and flipped the pan a few times, something resembling pancakes turning over in the air. "But I didn't wanna bother you this morning, so I figured I'd get a head start on some repairs and while I'm at it, make us some breakfast."

Rose smiled. "Gettin' used to maid duties, are ya?"

The Doctor turned his head and arched an eyebrow at her. "I was not a _maid,_ Rose," he stressed. "And I don't often say that. I was…a bloke who was forced against his will to serve two lovely ladies as a debt to pay. Which, by the way, ended today. So now we can finally head off."

"Good." He took out plates and set them out on the table before serving the pancakes. Rose inhaled the delicious smell of what seemed to be - no surprise, bananas. "Banana pancakes _again,_ Doctor?"

He pouted for a minute. "What's wrong with them? Don't you like them?"

"No, I do. 'S just…you've made them _three_ days in a row."

"Weeeell," he shrugged. "Gotta use them, don't I? We've got bunches - well, more than just _bunches,_ more like an abundance…oh, that's it! An abundance of bananas! Can't let them go to waste, so why not have them?"

"You said that they wouldn't spoil in the TARDIS," Rose reminded him.

The Doctor scratched his sideburn. "True…but there's nothing wrong with keeping up to check with your potassium."

"Yes, yes, I know. Bananas are good," she said, waving her hand. "Not the first time I've heard that, you know."

He smirked. "And it won't be the last."

"And you still deny that you have a serious addiction to them."

"Now Rose, I've explained that to you before. There's a difference between an _addiction_ and a strong _admiration."_

"I'm aware of that, so please don't go into that spiel again," she joked.

He huffed as he turned back to the stove. She could always tell when he was dwelling on something. Being with him for two and a half years allowed her to be able to read him a little easier, and he couldn't hide his negativity for so long without her pointing it out. Whatever was bothering him won't stay inside of him longer. Perhaps she should gently try to get him to spill later on.

Rose heard approaching footsteps from behind and found Martha entering all dressed and ready to go out. "Banana pancakes again?" she said.

The Doctor turned around with mock offense. "Blimey, everyone's so critical of my cooking skills today."

"It's not your skills," Martha assured. "It's your variety. You've made the same thing for the last few days."

"What's wrong with banana pancakes?" He asked indignantly.

"Don't bother, Martha," Rose spoke up. "You won't convince him otherwise."

"Oh, come on," the Doctor said taking his seat across from the girls. "It could be worse. _Rose_ could've cooked something." The woman being mentioned reached over and made a move to smack his arm, but he dodged her attack. "Is that the thanks I get for serving you girls for a week?" He sniffed and adjusted his tie. "I think some gratitude is necessary."

"You want gratitude?" Rose said, arching a brow. "Be grateful we didn't sneak any pears in here while you cleaned up."

The Doctor gave her a pointed look. "Now, Rose Tyler, you know very well we have no pears onboard, and you'd have no way of retrieving any since we've been drifting in the vortex for a week, so I needn't worry."

"Well, if I knew how to drive the TARDIS then I would've made a stop," she teased.

He snorted. "Then I should be grateful I haven't taught you, then."

"I bet she'd be a way better driver than you," Martha commented.

"Oi! I'm not a bad driver!"

Rose laughed. "Keep believing that, Doctor. You know it's not true."

The rest of the conversation continued humorously, and it felt like things fell back into place after months of distance, bitterness, and sadness. Finally, they could go back to their normal lives and travel across the stars.

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After breakfast, the Doctor decided to take the girls on a magical mystery tour, where he'd set the coordinates to random and whatever they stopped at would be their next destination. Stepping out of the TARDIS they were jittery to land in a wonderful and beautiful planet…and wound up being greeted with soldiers with pale yellow skin and spears pointed directly at them.

Apparently they arrived in a place where the color blue was taboo to their God's will, and with the TARDIS standing out prominently in a world bathed in a light yellow hue, they were bound to be chased after. That and, also by some lovely chance, the residents here were basically high grade chauvinists. Not even hesitating, the Doctor rushed the girls back inside the ship and made their quick getaway.

_Maybe the magical mystery tours should be pushed off for a little while_, he thought to himself.

This time, the Doctor put in the coordinates himself and took the girls to an amusement park planet. Rose asked him why he didn't choose to go to Gresobupp like the last time and made a comment that he always proved how poor his driving was. He said that he landed them on its sister planet Pulgregg, which was just as much, if not even more, fun as the other.

The rides were fast and thrilling, but the one that got the most praise was the anti-gravity rollercoaster that went around the entire planet. The Doctor urged the girls to try it out despite their reluctance. He grabbed both of their hands and led them towards the ride and threw them in the first row of seats. When the ride began, Rose immediately took his hand, gripping so tight as they shot across the air. The three of them screamed at the fast-paced mechanisms until it came to a complete stop.

Hours later, the girls - mainly Martha - were completely spent from going on every single ride on the planet. _Twice._ Afterwards, they went over to one of the gift shops - which the Doctor couldn't refuse - and got a bunch of souvenirs as well as some prizes from playing games.

Next, he took them to see the landing on the moon - four times - before taking them to an underwater aquarium of the 47th century where you could actually walk along the ocean floor and watch as the various creatures swam by around the thick see through glass dome. On the walls were small speakers that allowed visitors to have the opportunity to talk to the lifeforms. Not to Rose's surprise, the Doctor rambled on about God knows what, and was sending the creatures off to sleep, making him frown and the girls to laugh.

The creature that Rose talked to resembled that of a mole with black and white stripes. It seemed to like her very much, to which the Doctor huffed and said that she was always the nicer one even when he wasn't being rude. Martha communicated with a whale-like creature that also was quite fond of her. Both girls laughed when the Doctor pouted. Soon enough, however, a cat-like creature came up to him and didn't shy away. Rose made another joke about how he was 'supposedly' not a cat person, and he responded with an innocent look.

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Making their way back to the TARDIS, Martha suggested they have another movie night in the media room. She took the side armchair while Rose and the Doctor sat on the couch, his arm wrapped around her back as she rested her head on his chest and brought her legs up to the side.

Since they finished the _Harry Potter_ franchise - even the future ones up to 2011 - Rose suggested something she knew would rowl up the Doctor enough to have him criticizing and picking apart piece by piece.

And she chose _Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure._

Unsurprisingly, the Doctor gave his critical commentary throughout the entire film. He kept his opinions strong and made them known by saying how it was monumentally inaccurate with the Laws of Time, repeating that the entire world would have imploded if two dimwitted students actually would do something so ludicrous as traveling in time to come across historical figures and bringing them all back to the present timeline together all for a silly school project that they didn't bother to study for.

But the thing that made Rose laugh the most was that they also traveled in a time traveling ship disguised as a _phone booth._

"Oh, that's just…" he said, shaking his head.

"Did you happen to inspire the creator of the movie some time in the past?" Martha asked with a laugh.

He scoffed. "I _highly_ doubt it. If I did, then they'd certainly know that this is completely _wrong!"_

Rose patted his chest and smiled. "'S only a movie, Doctor."

"And an _extremely_ inaccurate one at that! It breaks just about _every_ single Law of Time! I suppose we should be thankful there's only _one_ phone box flying around, and unoccupied by…teenage slackers."

"Yes, because the world needs a mad man in a box to save the universe," Rose commented lightly.

"Oh, yes."

Once the movie was over, the Doctor suggested they watch something more relevant. So he picked _The Muppet Movie._

"Doctor, we've watched that so many times," Rose groaned.

"So? It's a classic! You can't go wrong with the classics," He defended, arching an eyebrow at her. "It's definitely better than that eighty-five minute abomination we just finished."

Both girls laughed when the movie began to play. Within the first few minutes, he was already singing along with Kermit the Frog. Rose rolled her eyes as she pillowed her head on his chest. He was such a fanboy.

About a half hour had passed and Martha was starting to nod off. "I know you both don't need sleep as much, but I'm still human and I need it," she said as she stood up from the side chair.

"You sure you can't make it til the end?" The Doctor asked. "You'll miss out on…well, everything else."

Martha waved her hand dismissively. "It's okay, it's not like I haven't seen it before. You two enjoy it."

Rose snorted. "We've enjoyed it like a hundred times."

"Now Rose, that's an exaggeration," the Doctor pointed out. _"We_ haven't watched it a _hundred_ times - it's only been sixty-seven."

"Of course _you'd_ be the one to actually count. And I'll bet you've watched it more times by yourself."

He sniffed while Martha chuckled. "Night you two," she told them before leaving them to themselves in the media room.

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They both continued to watch the film in silence, though Rose barely paid any attention to it once she felt the Doctor gently trace his fingers in tight circles over her ribs. She closed her eyes and sighed. Small, tender gestures like those always made her feel so tranquil whenever she lay in his arms. Nestling in his warmth, she nuzzled the cotton of his suit and took in his scent. Her arms were wrapped around his waist as she mirrored his caresses on his side.

He rested his cheek on the top of her head, resuming his actions as he traced the words he's been longing to tell her for quite some time but have yet to do so. She knew how much he cared for her and how he loved her with all of his hearts, but what he really needed was for her to _truly_ understand exactly what she was to him. There was only one way he could do it, but the whole process scared him.

No. He didn't have to rush it. He could deal with the pain splitting his head to wait a little longer. Hopefully.

The TARDIS hummed in his mind. Judging by that, She thought otherwise. The Doctor rolled his eyes. Cheeky ship, always trying to push him further. But he wasn't ready yet…or maybe he was…truthfully, he wasn't even sure anymore. Eager as he was to try forming a bond, he honestly couldn't imagine Rose handling all of it well. He felt ashamed by that, but the moment she saw every dark corner in his mind, she'd back away almost instantly.

"Whatcha thinkin' about?"

The softness of Rose's voice brought him out of his musings. "Oh…a great deal of things," he answered evenly. "Big mind and all."

"Penny for your thoughts?"

He chuckled. "You really wanna waste money on what _I'm_ thinking about? You'll need more than just a penny." He tilted his head. "Now that you mention it, you still owe me five quid for being wrong about the Beatles having more number ones than Elvis."

Rose scoffed. "Keep dreamin'. _You_ still owe me ten for saying I couldn't get Queen Victoria to say, 'I am not amused'," she said in the mock posh voice. "I'll pay up when you do."

"Hm. No, I'm good," he replied.

They were quiet for a moment until Rose said, "Doctor…is something bothering you?"

His ears began to burn. Oh, his Rose could read him all too well. "What makes you say that?" he retorted.

"'S just…you seem like you've got something on your mind."

What an understatement that was. "Weeeell…" he drawled.

She raised her head off of his chest and lifted herself up to her kness to look him in the eye. "You know you can always talk to me if you're dwelling on something-"

"I know, Rose," he cut in with a nod. "I'm fine." She lowered her chin and arched an eyebrow at him. _"Really,_ I'm fine," he assured.

She studied him as he stressed he was alright, though she wasn't buying it one bit…but if something _was_ eating away at him, she knew how to make him better, to remind him that she wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. Nodding once she placed a hand on the side of his face and stroked his sideburn.

"Well, whatever's buzzin' around in that big Time Lord brain of yours," she told him quietly, moving her hand to brush his hair and causing his eyes to slip shut. "Don't let it pull you down…just let it go."

_Oh, if only it was that simple,_ the Doctor thought to himself. The one thing that was on his mind was something he couldn't push off to the side, at least not anymore.

"Rose…" he breathed out in a whisper, opening his eyes to see her own softening. How exactly could he bring this up to her? This was a huge step that he was unsure if she was willing to take, and if she actually did she would never be able to rid herself from all of the darkness and guilt lodged inside of him.

But…he really didn't have to initiate it just yet, right? Sure, his head was throbbing and burning - sometime to the point where he'd want to pound his head against a wall - from pushing it off up to date, but that didn't mean he had to go straight into it.

Instead he raised a hand to brush two knuckles down her cheek before moving it to the back of her head, pulling her in for a brief kiss. He intended it to only be for a moment, but, just like any other time, it was challenging to resist her kiss. He felt her shift slightly until she was seated in his lap, her hands tangling in his hair as she deepened the kiss with the slight flick of her tongue at his part. With his hands rested firmly on her hips, he raised one up to the base of her neck, gently tugging at her hair until she moaned.

He fought back on an irritated growl once he felt the back of his head tighten with every ticking second that passed by as they shared what has become such a natural gesture between them for almost a year. Now it was turning into a burning pain that continuously stabbed him in the back of his mind.

Much to his need but not his want, he abruptly broke the kiss once his vision blurred. Opening his eyes, he was met with the…incredibly beautiful sight of Rose's swollen and glistening lips, parted as she tried to catch her breath. _Rassilon, help him._ Clearing his throat, the Doctor offered her a small smirk before shifting themselves back to their original position with her resting her head on his chest while he caressed her side.

They finished watching the movie together until he lifted her up in his arms to carry her to their room. With every step that he took he felt the pounding in the back of his head rise more and more, causing him to bite back on another growl. He carefully lay her down on the bed, tucking the duvet under her. Standing beside her, his hand gravitated towards her face, the tips of two fingers slowly sliding down her cheek with feather light touches.

His Rose, his wonderful Rose. If only this whole thing was easier to tackle. Lowering his hand the Doctor left the room, quietly shutting the door behind him. Walking down the corridor, he came across the medbay and entered. There was no reason to be here, but he just felt the need to shake himself out of his daze.

He felt the TARDIS nudge his mind gently, which he was thankful for. That was until She began to scold him again. The Doctor groaned. "_Can we please not speak of this right now?_" he said through their link.

A calmer hum came to his ears…then a piercing screech. He pulled back with gritted teeth and muttered in his native tongue as he went into the small en suite in the corner. Running the cold tap water, he splashed some on his face. The coldness felt numb on his face as his head still felt heated. He couldn't keep living like this. He had to bond with her soon…but what if she couldn't handle it? And if she did, what if she wouldn't want it?

"_You have yet to talk to her to see if what you believe is true,_" the TARDIS hummed.

The Doctor sighed. "I know, but…what if-"

_"Assumptions should not be made when actions haven't taken place to know the truth."_

_"Gee, like I didn't know that already_," he thought sarcastically. _"I'll talk to her…just not yet."_ Another irritated screech. Letting out a growl he made his way out of the en suite and into the testing room. "Will you stop pressuring me?" He yelled out loud to the ceiling. "I can't do it right now, alright? I'll just wait."

_"You have waited long enough,_" the TARDIS shot back. _"The Wolf is ready for you."_

"You're doing it again. Just leave me alone!"

_"You are not really alone, my Thief. The Wolf is here to stay,"_ She hummed gently.

The Doctor scrubbed a hand down his face. "Yes, I know," he said with a low voice. "But I've got plenty of time to create it."

_"The pain you feel says otherwise."_

He shook his head and spoke through their link again._ "I'll just deal with it. I've suffered through pain before, then I could deal with this a little longer."_

_"You lie to yourself. It's too unbearable to keep for so long. You must release it."_

"Maybe so. But I'm not pushing her through this the same way you keep pressuring me." With that he walked out of the room to pace through the corridors.

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**Response to _Candy thy Cutie:_ Hiya! It's no problem. Nice to hear from you ;) **


	41. Blink

**A/N: Wow, I'm up early. Well…earlier than usual. Hello lovely insomnia, thanks for the brain stew. X~X**

**I've been driving myself mad with these upcoming chapters. I originally had something totally different going on, but I decided to change it. Three times. Now I'm back to this. I suppose some action is needed, so hopefully you enjoy :) **

**Anyways much love to all of you lovely reviewers and followers! I adore you all ;D **

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_**Chapter 41: Blink**_

Usually when the TARDIS would hum calmly, Rose would always appreciate it as it was soothing to her ears in the morning - especially for her beings as she is definitely not a morning person. But right now, she didn't feel like getting out of bed.

Peeking one eye open, she was met with the opposite side of the bed unoccupied. She stretched her arm to place a hand to the sheets. Cold. The Doctor didn't even come to bed. Truthfully, she didn't even know she came in here. The last thing she remembered was the both of them watching the rest of the Muppet Movie, and then they snogged each other senseless for a few minutes before finishing the film. At some point she must have fallen asleep and he carried her to bed.

She's wondered why the Doctor hasn't stayed with her until the morning since…a little while. They weren't distancing themselves from each other any more - and she couldn't thank God enough for that - but something was clearly bothering him. A few days ago she could've sworn that she heard him complaining about another one of his headaches. Come to think about it, they've been quite frequent this whole week. He may have had a couple over the last few months, but not this many in such a short amount of time.

What was wrong with him? She tried to ask him countless times if there was something she could do to help him, but he'd insist that there wasn't much for her to do anyways. It had to be more than just the headaches. Being with him for over two and a half years has allowed her to be able to read him a little easier. Maybe not see all the way through him, but it wasn't hard to note his distress. Whatever was bothering him must be eating away at him so hard that he didn't want to tell her about it.

But Rose was determined enough to at least try to get him to talk. If something was beating him up inside, he shouldn't keep dwelling on it by himself. She's told him time and time again that he could let her in whenever he wanted to, no matter what was on his mind. Apparently, he was still reluctant to comply. She wouldn't try to force it out of him, but a little easing in would do the job.

Maybe she'll try it later.

Another calm hum came from above, and she smiled. "Is he okay, Old Girl?" She sent the equivalent of a shoulder shrug. "And he says that I'm the stubborn one," she said with a chuckle. "But seriously. Something's bothering him, and he won't tell me. What do I do, Old Girl?"

_"Patience, my Wolf,"_ the ship whispered.

"Yeah, I've been that for a long time now," Rose said with a laugh.

_"Don't mind his demeanor. He will come around."_

Nodding, Rose rolled off the bed. "Let's hope so."

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Making her way out of the bedroom, Rose found the Doctor in the console room toying with some kind of thingamabob. Not surprising at all. He must have felt her presence and immediately turned around.

"Ah, you're finally up," he said, tossing the item off to the side with negligence.

"How long was I out?"

He tilted his head and placed his hands into his pockets. "Oh…about six point three five hours."

Rose snorted. "You're like my own personal recordkeeper."

"Well…it's handy, innit? I must say with that amount you're dangerously close to returning to your old habits."

She smacked his arm playfully. "Oh, and you'd love that, wouldn't you? Jus' to toss me out of bed to wake me up."

He hummed. "Truthfully, I'd prefer it if you _wouldn't_ go back to your old sleeping schedule as you're not fully human anymore and it's unnecessary." He squinted one of his eyes. "Although…you're still human enough, so it's expected with _you."_

She rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Where we off to?"

"Ah! A brilliant place especially for you ladies," he cheered happily as he bounced around the console. "Remember when I said that there were many resort planets out there? Well, I'm taking you both to the most popular secluded bungalow." He flipped the switch, sending them in-flight.

The turbulence wasn't as bad as usual, but they both managed to bump into each other. Coming to their landing a jolt rocked the ship and sent them both to the floor, the Doctor landing flat on his back and Rose landing on top of him.

_Oh, boy,_ he thought. Shamefully just being within her proximity was enough to make the ache in the back of his mind pound, but whenever they ended up in such…intimate positions, it only made it worse. His ears burned as his breath hitched. Rose appeared to be a little shocked by their position, but looked to be suppressing a laugh.

This had to be intentional on the TARDIS's part. Pushing him more and more. How could his magnificent ship turn on him so easily. _When did he lose control of Her?_ He inwardly scoffed. It's been that way for a while. The longer he was this close to her, the more his head scorched, and the more his craving of her grew. Screwing his eyes shut, he tried as hard as he could to stifle a painful groan.

After a few more moments, Rose spoke. "You okay?"

Masking his dilemma and keeping his control, he nodded. "Yeah," he managed to choke out. "It's just that…"

"What?"

Thinking of a good cover, he peeked one of his eyes open. "You're really heavy," he teased.

Rose responded by swatting his chest. "Oh, so not only did you call me fat, you're calling me heavy?"

Both of his eyes shot open. "Huh? No! I was only kidding! I never called you fat, I said you were…curvy in the right…places…" Blimey, does he need help. "But honestly Rose, how are you supposed to enjoy the islands of Kaao'Tilia from here?"

Letting out a snort, she pressed a gentle kiss to the tip of his nose before rolling him. Holding out a hand, he helped her to her feet. "Now!" He clapped his hands together. "Go wake Martha. Can't have her picking up your hibernating habits." She playfully smacked his arm before heading down the corridor.

Watching her as she left, the Doctor sighed and rubbed his temples, feeling the throbbing ease up slightly when she was of a certain distance away. This was horrible. This wasn't what he wanted. Yes, he wanted to bond with her - well, now it's become a desperate _need,_ but still all the same - but was _her_ pain worth taking away his own?

Once more the TARDIS came to his mind, and he groaned again. She was going to keep demanding that he tell Rose about this as soon as possible, but he was afraid to know exactly what would happen after he did. No. He wasn't ready yet. He still had time. All he had to do was make it through the pain. _Shouldn't be hard, right?_

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"Oh, I've been waiting to get to an island," Martha said happily.

Rose smiled. "I know, right? I mean, seeing the Doctor have to act as a servant was deserving enough, but you definitely should be frolicking across beaches."

"Yeah. Though I do wish that we should've forced him wear that maid outfit."

They both snickered. "He's been through enough this past week…" Rose said, before grinning. "But that doesn't mean we won't think of doing it another time."

Making their way into the console room, they saw the Doctor shrugging on his coat and standing by the ramp with a smile on his face. It still warmed Rose's insides to see them back to their old lives.

"Ready?" He asked, raising his brows. When they nodded, he stood off to the side and gestured to the door. "Ladies first."

Not even hesitating the girls eagerly ran down the ramp, preparing to feel the relaxing heat from a bright sun or two, to step onto an area of sand and kick their feet along the dunes, to dive into a beautiful ocean shining like the never-ending sky…

…but what they got instead was the disappointing feeling of a damp coldness smacking them in the face along with light drizzle.

"What the hell?" Martha asked indignantly.

"And the bad driving skills strike once again," Rose commented, giving the Doctor a pointed look over her shoulder.

Coming down the ramp, the Doctor stood behind the girls and studied their surroundings. "Oh…" he breathed out.

Rose arched an eyebrow at him and crossed her arms over her chest. _"Now_ will you admit that you're not as good a driver like you thought?"

"Oi!" He cried. "It was just a little mistake. Has it ever occurred to you that maybe the _universe_ is just…distorted?"

"Never willing to take responsibility, are ya?"

"I would," he sniffed. "Not my problem that the universe can't handle my driving. The TARDIS must have picked up some weird readings."

In response, Rose patted his arm before taking in their surroundings. A large gate with a standout sign reading _**'Danger: Keep Out'**_ was ahead with various trees blowing in the wind. Behind the gate was a large structure that appeared to be abandoned. Rose felt a chill just staring at it.

"Wait a minute…isn't this Wester Drumlins?" she asked.

The Doctor sniffed and nodded. "Looks like it. Wanna investigate?"

Before Rose could speak Martha beat her to it. "I thought we were gonna go to an island. An actual alien island somewhere off on another planet."

"Oh, they'll always be there," the Doctor said, waving his hand as he stepped up to the gate.

"So will this old place," she retorted.

"Well…maybe so," he pulled at the gate then turned to the girls and waggled his eyebrows. "But a little mystery is always fun, eh?"

Usually Rose was always for a little investigating, but just standing away from the house was giving her an uneasy feeling. She was with Martha and would rather be on an island somewhere far off the other side of the galaxy…

Then again…both she and the Doctor enjoyed breaking the rules.

"Alright, just a quick look around," she said, coming up to the gate. She arched an eyebrow at the Doctor. "We better end up at a beach after this or I'll smack you." He chuckled. She poked his chest and grinned cheekily. "Or better yet…I won't snog you for a week."

His eyes widened but he smirked. "Ooh, haven't we had enough isolation? I don't even think you'd be able to survive that withdrawal."

"Wanna risk it?"

Martha sighed dramatically from the side. "Guys, I know everything's all good and lovely between you two, but you've got plenty of time to flirt with each other. If we're gonna check this…creepy place out, let's do it fast. I want heat, sand, and an ocean."

The Doctor snorted. "Martha Jones, why must you take the fun out of everything? A little mystery won't hurt. Now come on."

He held out his hands to help the girls climb up the gate and to the other side. Once they each made it over, they went up the main steps and went through the door. Judging by how loud the creaking was, this place has been abandoned for a long time. Fallen chandeliers graced the floor as glass shards covered corners of the room. A rotted fireplace was on the other side with moss growing in it. The wallpaper was peeling off slightly revealing cracked walls with more moss growing in.

How beautiful.

"It's like Scooby Doo's house," Martha commented.

Rose laughed. "I guess that makes us the rest of the gang. Does that mean the TARDIS is our mystery machine?"

The Doctor smiled at her. "Guess so. Seems appropriate…" he studied Rose. "And you've played the damsel in distress part many a times, so that fits _you_ nicely." He snickered when she smacked his arm.

It was nice to be back in their old groove. For a moment, he completely ignored the fact that his head felt like it was splitting apart. He was right. He didn't have to mention the bond just yet, not while everything was just coming back around for them.

The Doctor clapped his hands together. "Right. Now as we're investigating, let's split up and see what little secrets are hiding within these moss covered walls."

"Assuming the role of leader, are ya?" Rose joked.

He sniffed. "Had it before we landed here, didn't I?"

"Well, if you're declaring yourself to be Fred, it's suitable considering lots of your plans don't work."

"Oi! I'm not the one who'd stumble across a spinning wall and get herself trapped."

Rose stepped over to him and placed a hand on his arm. "Then how can I be saved by my Doctor?"

They both giggled while Martha rolled her eyes. "As much as I love seeing you two act all gushy to the point where I wanna gag, the faster we look around the faster we can head out to a resort."

The Doctor arched an eyebrow at her. "Impatient, are we? Don't fret, we'll be outta here in five minutes tops." He tilted his head. "Unless we come across a bloke in a mask, then with that case we'll be a _little_ longer."

Rose laughed as she began to enter another room. "We'll let you know if we come across any costumed thieves."

The Doctor threw her a wink as he went his own way towards another room. Yep, he could wait.

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As she kept searching through the abandoned house, Rose tried to keep her sound of disgust to herself. While mysteries were always exciting, investigating a creepy house that could possibly be haunted really wasn't hitting her in the right places like their other investigations have.

She felt another chill shoot through her when she passed by one of the back doors. A cellar way appeared underneath the steps, a small glint of light shining through. Opening it, dust immediately flew out and into her nostrils causing her to cough. _Lovely._ It was dark and it only sent another chill down her spine. Something didn't feel right.

Closing the door, she backed away and made her way back to the entrance where they came through. Whatever mystery was going on around here - well, if there was one rather, she didn't want to stick around to know exactly what it was. Turning a corner, she felt a breeze hit the back of her neck. Looking over her shoulder she was met with nothing.

If this was the Doctor trying to scare her again…

Shaking her head Rose turned back around - and was greeted by an ancient looking stone statue carved to be an angel with its hands covering their eyes in a way that could be weeping suddenly placed in front of her. She gasped at the shock, holding a hand to her chest over her TARDIS key that always dangled around her neck. How the hell did a statue get here? It wasn't there a moment ago.

Jinkies.

"Doctor, if you're trying to trick me," she called out with a chuckle. Just staring at the statue was giving Rose even more chills. This seemed…bad. They needed to get out of here. Walking around it, she headed down to the main entrance in hopes of finding the Doctor right away.

That was until she felt something poke her in the back, causing her to scream at the shock. A flash of white light clouded her vision, and she felt herself levitate before a zapping sound filled her ears.

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The Doctor examined the moss covered cracks in the walls as he snooped around the first floor of the abandoned house. With a single finger he was about to test to see exactly how old this place was, but he had his limits as he's told Rose once more. And he didn't fancy having her say she wasn't snogging him anymore all because he examined moss.

Yeah, he could pass that up.

Though testing it wasn't entirely necessary as anyone could tell that this place bas been empty for quite a while. It gave off the kind of vibe that could make one's skin crawl, but that's what made these mysteries exciting - the thrill off seeing what was hidden behind structures with interesting backstories. This one though didn't appear to have one. Maybe the girls were right, they could've passed on this one.

That was until a familiar cry got his attention. Out of instinct, he dashed for the source, though he knew very well who it was - his precious damsel in distress as if on cue. As much as he wanted to make a silly joke about how Rose always managed to find trouble and pull of silly pranks to freak him out, the scream that escaped from her seemed all too realistic and not to be taken as fake.

His Rose may have been an amazing actress when it came to creating facades, he desperately hoped this was all a joke. But he feared that it wasn't. What was lurking around in here?

Turning a corner, he made a noise of surprise when he bumped into Martha. "Where's Rose?" he asked quickly.

Martha shook her head. "I dunno, I just heard her scream."

"Come on, let's find her."

Frantically running around the house they came across a back door that was opened. She couldn't have run away, could she? No, not Rose. She wouldn't desert them if something frightened her. Peering out of the open space, all they saw was a garden with broken glass, fallen leaves, and stones laying all around.

"Where is she?" Martha asked. "It sounded like she came around here."

The Doctor shrugged. Maybe this was just a prank after all…and then that's when he turned around and froze in place. An angel statue stood before him, but it wasn't some ordinary one - it was a Weeping Angel. _Why couldn't it have been just a simple bloke in a beaten up costume?_ Its hands were lowered from its face, one of them holding something shiny. While chancing a glance to see what it was, he didn't have to as he could make out its shape below his vision and his breath hitched.

At the end of the string held tightly in its fist was Rose's key to the TARDIS. Oh, no. No, no, no.

"Martha," he said as calm as he could, his eyes never leaving the angel. He heard her gasp but held his arm up to make her relax. "Listen to me. This is bad. Very, very bad. Whatever you do, don't make any sudden movements. I need you to grab my hand, don't let go of it, and keep an eye out for any other angels."

"But…it's just a _statue,"_ she stated.

"Not as such, it's not exactly what you think. Don't think about that right now. Just do what I've told you and most importantly: _don't blink."_

She obeyed and turned around. With his eyes remaining fixed on the Angel, the Doctor reached over slowly to retrieve Rose's key. As soon as his fingers grazed it, he felt Martha jump behind him, making him stumble a bit and that was all it took in a split second until a bright light blinded him.

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At first Rose felt like she was flying, but then found herself land hard against the cold wet ground. Her head felt dizzy for a moment, but felt it ease up once the spots before her eyes disappeared. Letting out a groan, she tried to sit upright, but in the process of doing so the wave of dizziness came back to her.

Finally managing to blink away the spots blocking her vision, she looked around and saw that she somehow ended up in some kind of tunnel. Well, this was some mystery. A mystery with a twist. How the hell could she have gone from wandering around an abandoned house to ending up in a tunnel outside?

Then she remembered…she saw an angel statue. Something about it made her skin crawl, and apparently there was a good reason for it. She felt like she was missing something. Her eyes widened when she looked down at her chest to find her TARDIS key was still gone. Off to the side she caught sight of a newspaper. Grabbing it her breath hitched at what she saw.

The year was 1969, and it was the springtime. "Oh, God." Just what she needed. But where was the Doctor?

Her question was soon answered when the Doctor suddenly appeared and crashed down to the ground not far from her. As if on cue.

"Oh, rough transport," he groaned. "Ow…"

"Doctor!" She cried, running over to him. He stood to his feet right away and held her tight. "It wasn't a bloke in a costume that I ran into," she told him half jokingly.

"How I wish it was," he said, pressing a kiss to her temple. "Still, at least you're alright."

"My key's missing, and it's 1969," she told him.

He pulled back and bit his lip, his eyes widening when she handed him the paper. "Yeah…that's a slight problem."

Of course it is. The last thing either of them wanted was to be stranded somewhere. "Where's-"

Before she could finish, the woman in question soon appeared. Releasing each other, the Doctor and Rose went over and helped Martha up. "What the hell just happened?"

"The Weeping Angels happened," the Doctor answered. "And they've zapped us back to 1969 while the TARDIS is still in present day London."

"What!?" Rose showed her the newspaper, and she sighed. "Please tell me we can get outta here."

The Doctor scratched his sideburn and squinted his eyes. "Ah, well…we can but it's not gonna be simple. Since they've transported us into the past without the TARDIS, and have Rose's key in their possession, it'll be a bit…complicated."

"How complicated?"

He paused. "Very complicated. At least there's the moon landing to look forward to," he added lightly.

"For the fifth time," Rose said, shaking her head. Maybe investigating that house _wasn't_ the best idea.

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The Doctor led the girls outside of the tunnel to walk around London in 1969. He should've seen this coming eventually. Just when things are going good, something gets in the way. And now he was stuck in one place in one time. _Again._ And it had to be during the time when he was exiled from home.

_Brilliant._

"I take it they're not really angels, then," Rose commented as they strolled down the pavements, earning odd looks from passing pedestrians. With this being a different period of time, their clothes were definitely out of style. Or in this case, not _yet_ in style.

He sucked in a breath. "How I wish they were. Fascinating race, the Weeping Angels. The Lonely Assassins, they used to be called. They're old, _incredibly_ old. Very nearly as old as the universe itself."

"How'd they survive that long?" Martha asked. "Is it 'cause they're made of stone?"

"Not…necessarily," he said, tilting his head. "You see, they're unique in the sense that they don't exist when they're being observed - they're Quantum Locked. The moment they're seen by another living creature they freeze into rock. Literally just turn into stone. That's why they cover their eyes."

"Because they can't even look at each other," Rose concluded.

He nodded, gesturing with his hands as he spoke. "Exactly. But if you're to ever come across one, the most important thing to do is to _never_ turn your back on one, and to _never_ blink. That's all it takes. One split second is all it takes for them to move. They're fast, those buggers. Faster than you could even _imagine._ They live off potential energy from others. No fuss at all, just zap you in the past and let you live to death while they consume the energy of the days you might have had."

"Classy," Martha commented.

"The only psychopaths in the universe that kill you kindly," he said. "But what we're dealing with is bad. Very bad. Probably extremely bad. Although…it could be worse, I suppose."

"At least we ended up in the same place and time," Rose said lightly. "I mean, one of us could've ended up on the other side of the world or in the 1800s."

Martha snorted. "Yeah, that's all I'd need. But what're we supposed to do now?"

A thought came to Rose. "Wait a minute. Doctor, d'you still have that folder? That purple one?"

His brows furrowed as his lips moved, no words coming out as he remembered. "Oh! Right! That blonde woman from the store - what was her name…"

"Sally Sparrow, it was," Rose supplied. "Right?"

"That's it! The one with the name of a bird," he reached in his jacket and pulled out said folder. "Brilliant!"

"You've been carrying that around?" Martha asked, eyeing it.

"Of course," he said as a matter of factly.

"Why?"

"Martha, you'd be surprised to know what other things he lugs around in those pockets of his," Rose responded. "He hoards bunches of bananas-"

"Oi!" The Doctor cried. "It's not _hoarding,_ it's _collecting._ I've explained the difference between the two. Besides you never know when you'll need some extra potassium."

"I'm sorry, but how's that supposed to help? The folder I mean," Martha asked.

"Remember the whole Klugobbian and Ulrissi escapade months ago? The lizards?" He tilted his head. "Well, they weren't _technically_ lizards, they're similar-"

"Doctor," Rose cut in.

"Sorry. Anyways, Sally Sparrow gave me this," he held it up. "Said that everything we'd need would be in here. Reckon we look through this right away. The faster we get out of this time period the better."

Rose chuckled. "I know how jittery you get with these situations, Doctor, and I'm not too thrilled about this either, but what is it about this year that's pullin' ya?"

He took a deep breath. "Let's just say this wasn't really one of the best years of my life."

She was about to ask why, but figured it may have been something personal. She patted his arm. "'S okay, Doctor. We'll get out of here. How long d'you think we'll be here?"

"Depends. Hopefully not as long as last time I was stranded here. Probably a week…or two."

"Where are we supposed to go?" Martha asked, looking around.

The Doctor took a breath. What he was about to say was something he'd never want to do or experience, but as they were currently without the resources of his beautiful ship, it was the only option they had.

"We're gonna have to find a flat," he told them. "I've a savings account provided by UNIT, but I can't risk them tracking me down, so I can only take a small amount." He reached in his jacket and pulled out the sonic screwdriver, twirling it in his fingers. "Shame there's no ATMs around here yet, at least reliable kinds, but the psychic paper should come in handy just like always in the bank." He turned back to the girls. "You two are gonna have to find jobs I'm afraid."

Rose stared at him wide eyed. Not because of the fact that she needed to find a job, but by what he had said before all of that. "Whoa, hold up," she began. "You…have a savings account? You've got _money!?"_

"Ehm…so to speak," he responded.

"So all this time _I've_ been paying for everything while you actually had money," she said in disbelief.

He scratched the back of his neck. "You _could_ say that, but I choose not to take anything out of it."

Rose chuckled. "Why, you cheap?"

"Of course not!" He said indignantly. He scanned his surroundings and led both girls down near an alleyway as he explained. "Back then, I was working with UNIT. Well, technically speaking, I still _am._ The reason why I don't touch my account is 'cause the moment I do, they'll send down a cavalry to come look for me, and I really don't feel like dealing with them. _Especially_ right now. But if I make a small withdrawal, it shouldn't cause any suspicions."

Rose couldn't believe what she was hearing. Not only did the Doctor have _money,_ but he had a job. _Him._ All this time he could've paid for chips among other things. Oh, she would always remind him of that.

"Isn't UNIT the organization that deals with alien problems?" Martha asked. He nodded. "And you worked for them?"

"Not _for_ them, _with_ them," he clarified, waving his hand dismissively. "Long story, not important. But I could only take out a small amount so not to make myself detected. That's why you two have to find jobs."

"I still can't get over the fact that you had money all this time," she said with a laugh.

The Doctor rolled his eyes. "Yes, you can rag on me about that later, but right now we need to settle down for about two weeks so we can get out of here. Okay. There's a bank down the street. Search for a flat, and I'll come up with the money, got it?" Both girls nodded. "Good. Off we go."

Before he turned to leave, Rose stopped him. "Relax, Doctor. I know this all seems too…domestic for you, but we'll make it out of here."

He sighed. "I know. These things happen too frequently."

"Yeah, but being stuck with you isn't so bad," she reminded with a wide smile.

He chuckled. "How modest." He leaned down to give her a quick peck on the lips before sprinting down the street to the bank.

The back of his head began to throb again, but eased up the further away from Rose he was. He wanted to scream. He hated living like this. If they had the TARDIS, She'd be scolding him once more. Still, he'll fight it for now. Hopefully he could control himself for at least two weeks.

Hopefully.

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**Response to _random fangirl:_ Awwww I'm glad I'm brightening up your days as much as you're doing the same for me *hugs* Don't worry, life'll get better. Keep looking up, hun. Thank you so much! Much love, girl ;D**

**Response to_ Candy thy Cutie:_ I LOVE YOU TOO! XD**


	42. Under Pressure

**A/N: *currently fangirling over the released pics of DT at Marvel Studios* Seriously, I'm so excited xD!**

**Next chapter. Just so you know, this is still taking place during 'Blink'. I just wanted to change the titles of the upcoming chapters.**

**As always, many thanks to all of you lovely reviewers and followers! Much love ;)**

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_**Chapter 42: Under Pressure**_

Never did Rose think that when she woke up this morning she'd be searching for an available flat to stay at for about two weeks as they were stranded. Then again, she also wasn't expecting to be sent back into 1969 while they were stuck.

Somewhat of a normal day in their life. Well…not really, but a situation like this was kind of set for them.

Thankfully the purple folder given to them by Sally Sparrow was still in the Doctor's possession, so this whole thing could end soon enough. It still baffled her that he had a job - one that paid. He had money. While it wasn't anything serious, it was amusing to know. She was going to tease him about this constantly. Just picturing him being careful with his spending…

Speaking of which, both she and Martha needed a change of clothes. By the looks everyone was giving them, they needed to wear the type of clothes that were in style at this time. But before any purchases could be made, the main focus was to find a flat for rent.

Much to their relief and need, they found one down the block about fifteen minutes later. Taking a look inside, it was a reasonable size. There were two bedrooms, including a small guest room, with a kitchen connected to the living room and an en suite off to the side and a back door leading to a balcony to peer at the horizon and secluded area of trees in the garden. It almost appeared to be of similar structure as Rose's mum's. How she missed that place, and her mother.

Signing a lease and setting up all agreements, the girls headed back out and walked down the street. Coming across the bank, they found the Doctor casually leaning against a brick wall with his hands in his pockets. He caught sight of them approaching and pushed himself off of the wall.

"Any luck?" he asked.

"Yeah, we got a place," Martha said. "It's not that far from here. We've got the keys."

She held them out, and the Doctor nodded. "Brilliant. Though keys aren't necessary for me," he added, taking out the sonic and grinning.

"So, you get the money?" Rose asked.

"Yep," he answered, popping the 'p' as he patted his jacket pocket. "All set."

"Good. Now you can buy us some food," she teased.

He arched an eyebrow. "You gonna make a habit out of this?"

She laughed. "No! But now you can give me the ten quid you owe me."

He huffed. "You know you'll have to blend in around here now. Different year, different style."

"We already knew that, Doctor. Why don't you go get us something to eat while we shop?" He was about to protest, but she added. "Unless you wanna shop with us and buy some new clothes for yourself."

"What's wrong with the way I look?" he said with mock offense as he straightened his tie. "I'll have you know that I blend in where her I go, and certainly don't need a change of clothes - especially the kind with pockets that are _not_ bigger on the inside."

Rose rolled her eyes. "Just get some food, Doctor. We'll meet you back at the flat."

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Of all of the options of a worthy eatery available in this part of the city and in this time period, the Doctor settled simply on fish and chips for each of them, carrying it all in a large bag. Some more thought could've been put into the duty of purchasing food, but the girls didn't specify on what exactly they wanted, so this would have to do.

If not, then oh well. He usually wasn't the type to buy things - at least on Earth.

All he knew was that he couldn't wait to get out of this place. Being stranded was one thing - which would _never_ be pleasant no matter when _or_ where he was - but this particular year was one he wasn't fond of. That along with the few after. This was the year that he was exiled from Gallifrey in his second incarnation but was forced to regenerate and was confined to only travel in this era in his third. So of course he'd hate to relive certain memories that weren't really the best - all of the encounters with…a particular, familiar someone.

Though he _was_ fond of his old roadster Bessie.

The longer they remained here the more likely he was bound to run into his past self, which, to say the least, wouldn't go too well. It's happened times before where he'd run into his past and even future selves, but if he came across them then the universe was definitely in danger of unraveling. And if he came near his third self, the same thing would happen.

However, when comparing the two incidents of being stranded on Earth in this particular time period, at least his past self had _available_ access to the TARDIS - despite the fact that the Time Lords wiped out some knowledge from his head on how to operate Her. Still, that counted as something. Now his precious ship was in danger of being consumed by those bloody Weeping Angels.

Well…he supposed it could be a whole lot worse of a situation than what they were currently in. Like Rose said: they all ended up in the same place and time. At least the same Angel zapped them. But now without the TARDIS, they had to stay in a flat. The domestic approach. The very thought always made him shudder. All those doors, and carpets…

He shook his head. It's only temporary, nothing long term. Then back off to their normal lives. At least he hoped so.

The white hot burning pain that constantly stabbed him in the back of the head was unbearable when he was on board the TARDIS, and now that he was away from Her, it was worseneng. Granted, the Old Girl wasn't really helpful when it came to his ache, always pushing him to talk to Rose about it as soon as possible, but being confined to a small flat would most likely cause him to bang his head repeatedly against a wall.

Okay, that sounded terrible. He was making it sound like he was ashamed of even having it. Yes, it pained him to the point where he wanted to scream his head clean off, but he knew he needed to release it soon. If it worked out well, then he and Rose could have something special exceeding any human tradition. Once again, though, he wasn't sure if she could sustain a mental bond. He wanted to try, but he was scared about what the result would be.

Coming up to their residence for the next two weeks, the Doctor retrieved the sonic and unlocked the door, stepping inside. It was basic and a decent size. To be technical, it somewhat resembled Jackie's by ratio of size. Making his way over to one of the couches, he set the bag of food down on the small table and took a seat. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the purple folder.

While he was awaiting for the girls' return, he would hold off on eating and figured now was a good time to look over the important things.

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It took the girls about twenty minutes to find appropriate clothes to wear during their unfortunate stay, but still were successful in the end. They still had yet to look for any places hiring for available jobs. But as it's been a pretty long day for all of them, and tomorrow was another day to go out job searching.

Also another thing Rose didn't expect she'd be doing when she woke up this morning.

Martha took out her keys when they came up to their flat and unlocked the door. Surely the Doctor had to be back by now. Unless he was running across the town at every food place. Upon entering the smell of fish and chips hit their noses.

"Blimey, how long have you two been gone?" The Doctor commented from the couch. His glasses were perched on his nose as he was hunched over, his forearms rested on his knees as he studied the contents from the folder.

"Are you timing us again, Doctor?" Rose asked.

"No, was just wondering how two people can take so long to buy an outfit," he said casually.

"Unlike you, we wear more than _one_ outfit, Doctor. You're always in the same suit," Martha said, heading to her room.

He raised his head from his studying. "That's not true. I've got a whole wardrobe of clothes. And you've seen me in the blue suit, so I do change out of this one."

Rose snorted as she walked behind the couch. "Would you ever consider wearing things that're more…casual?" He looked over his shoulder at her and arched an eyebrow. "'M kiddin. You know I prefer your suit." He smiled and made the happy sound she loved so much.

Placing her bag in her room, she came back out to join the others in eating. Once they were finished, it was getting late and a nice rest would do all of them some good. Martha went to her room first, while Rose decided to stay with the Doctor for a little bit. She threw out their trash in the kitchen bin before returning to her seat beside him on the couch.

She leaned forward and observed a group of photos. Taking them in her hands, she looked over them, furrowing her brows at the messages of _'Beware'_ written on the walls. None of it made any sense…yet. But it will soon enough.

"Quite a mystery this is turning out to be, eh?" she said, placing the photos back on the table.

The Doctor let out a sigh. "And it can only continue to do so." He threw the transcript down onto the table and rubbed his eye with a single finger underneath the rim of his glasses.

Rose patted his knee comfortingly. He's been hard at work all day long and it was only the first day. If they were supposed to be here for about two _weeks,_ like he estimated, then he'd continue to be this way. Maybe be even worse. "Hey, it'll be okay," she said softly. "Before you know it, we'll be out of here and back in the TARDIS, yeah?"

"It can't come quick enough," he muttered.

Studying him, she hesitated before asking him gently. "What happened the last time? I mean, when you were stranded?" He took a deep breath and lowered his head to scratch the back of his neck. "'M sorry," she said quickly.

"No, no, it's fine," he assured, resting his hand over hers on his knee. Licking his lips, he pressed his tongue to the back of his upper row of teeth. "I wasn't too fond of the whole situation back then either, but…at least I had the TARDIS with me."

"Did She shut down like the time we got trapped in the parallel world?"

He snorted. "No, but it was just as bad."

He scrubbed a hand down his jaw. He wasn't one for going into detail with things of his past but with Rose, it felt…right. Of course what he was mentioning was nowhere _near_ as extreme as some of the other things he's dealt with.

"I did some…things back home that angered the wrong people, and as punishment I was forced to regenerate and sent here in exile confined to the present day - which at the time was 1969 - and to stay there. Thankfully, my restriction was lifted," he gestured at himself. "Case in point. But back then, I was still allowed to operate the TARDIS, but they disabled Her and took away bits of my knowledge so I wouldn't be able to leave Earth."

"Oh, my _God,"_ Rose breathed out, squeezing his knee. How could his own people do such a thing? They actually sent him to _death._ She didn't know the details, but whatever he did was probably what he always did - save the universe. And they _killed_ him because of it. "How'd you cope?"

"By doing what I always do - helped others, met some new people - some of which became my companions - met some familiar faces…" he trailed off, an unreadable expression on his face.

"You had to be jittery, though."

"Oh, yes," he said with raised brows. "I may have been a different man back then, but that never changed."

She couldn't help but smile at him. Always the same man. "And you said you worked for UNIT?"

_"With_ UNIT," he corrected. "I was their scientific advisor."

Rose snorted. "Yeah, that suits you."

He smirked. "Wanna know the interesting bit? When I was first exiled here and affiliated with them, they were dealing with the Autons."

The name sounded familiar. "Wait," she said, turning her body to bring her legs up under her. "Weren't those the plastic men?" He nodded and she laughed. "That was _our_ first meeting." Oh, what a day that was - the day this wonderful mad man swept into her life when he was all his ears and leather.

"Do you technically still work with them even though you're not there?" she asked.

He shrugged. "Weeeell…technically I never resigned. I just…walked away from them. Only a few other times have I worked with them, but other than that…" he shook his head. "Still, if I were to keep making withdrawals from my account with them, they'll be able to detect me, and I _really_ don't want that."

"You jinxed yourself now," she joked, nudging his shoulder. "You'll bump into them again." He shook his head and snorted. "But hold on, if your other self is runnin' around here, wouldn't they just look for _him?"_

"Then they'd question him about it and only make things worse," he replied. "And I really hope I don't run into him…paradoxes and all that."

Rose nodded and rubbed her eyes. "Fair enough."

"You should sleep, Rose, you're probably exhausted," the Doctor told her softly.

"'M fine." She said, stifling a yawn…until it came out anyway. He raised his brows in a 'told you so' manner. "Shut up."

He chuckled and patted her hand. When she stood up to walk over to her room, she turned back to see him resuming his examinations of the folder contents. She walked back over to the couch. "You comin'?"

"I'll be with you shortly," he said.

She knew what that meant. "I know you're busy, but can you at least stay with me til I fall asleep?"

He raised his head, and nodded. "Of course."

Taking her hand, she led him to their bedroom. The Doctor didn't really have an opportunity to observe the entire flat as he went right to work going over the items in the folder. It was average sized with a large enough bed and a nightstand to the side. A wooden dresser was in the corner with a mirror and her bag of clothes was set on top of it.

"Hold on," he spoke up. He reached into his jacket and pulled out the sonic and ran it along the sheets of the bed. "There we go," he said, pocketing it. "Fresh and clean."

Rose laughed. "Should I be concerned if you wind up sonicing every appliance in this flat?"

He sniffed. "I'll try to restrain myself," he said. Holding back from sonicing everything wasn't really what he was concerned about. He was more focused on figuring out how to get them out of here - as well as keep his nearly unattainable craving to bond with Rose at bay.

Toeing off his trainers and removing his jacket and tie,the Doctor lay beside Rose on the bed, one of his arms slinging around her waist. She only removed her shoes and jacket, leaving on her short sleeved top and jeans.

"You sure you're comfortable?" he asked when she settled down under the duvet, facing him as she nestled her face in his chest.

"Mmhm," she hummed.

Just being this close to her was making his head burn, and he shut his eyes tight as he fought the pain. But then he felt Rose tilt her head up to press a soft kiss to neck and his breath hitched. She didn't stop as she made her way to the corner of his jaw then gently nibbled on his earlobe.

_Rassilon, he's hanging by that thin thread again._

Screwing his eyes shut tighter and fighting the burn, he choked out. "Rose…you should sleep."

She smiled against his skin before nudging his Adam's apple with her nose. Holding his breath, he took a chance and slightly pulled back to tilt his chin down to look down at her. Of course it was hard to resist her so, despite his aching mind, he leaned down to kiss her softly, his hand rising off of her waist to cup her cheek. What he was intending to be a brief kiss turned around when she nipped his lower lip before soothing the bite with her tongue. He groaned as he submitted to her proposal and allowed her entrance, and his head felt like it was about to explode.

It pained him - both metaphorically _and_ literally speaking - that he had to feel this way around her. If they were in the TARDIS right now, there would be no doubt that She'd start buzzing around in his head with her continuous demands to just give in to the bonding situation, and he would do the same thing he did every time - push it off.

And with that bit of control he still had intact, he gently broke the kiss though he felt like he was being stabbed in the back of the head with a poker.

She grinned widely at him, tempting him to claim her mouth again, but he arched a brow at her. "I'm not tired anymore," she said before letting out another yawn and he chuckled. "Shut up," she poked him in the chest.

He kissed her forehead. "Get some rest, Rose."

Within roughly five and a half minutes, she was fast asleep in his arms. Nuzzling her hair for a moment, he carefully slid his arm out from under her head, resting her down onto the pillow as he slowly rolled out of the bed. He fetched his jacket and trainers before leaving the room.

The Doctor made his way into the en suite and shut the door behind him, tossing his jacket on the sink and setting his trainers on the ground. Sitting himself on the toilet, he held his head in his hands as the pain eased up. Rubbing his temples he sighed and unbuttoned his Oxford. Very rarely did he feel himself overheat with his cooler body temperature, but whenever he was around Rose - more specifically when they snuggled in warm embraces or snogged each other's brains out - his undeniable need for her grew substantially. Of course she was the only one to give off such an effect on him.

Standing up he undressed himself as he decided to take a cold shower in an attempt to ease the burning pouring throughout this entire body, starting with his head. Damn ache. He was always perfectly fine with taking dry showers with a simple run down himself with the sonic, but once in a while an actual one would do him good.

When he finished up, he dried himself off with a nearby towel and grabbed the sonic, running it over his clothes before putting them back on. Exiting the en suite, he took his seat on the couch and went back to the puzzling contents of the folder.

Not only was this going to be a long night, it was going to be a long two _weeks._

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

_Two weeks later_

Days passed by fairly quickly much to everyone's pleasure. Both Rose and Martha were able to get jobs at a nearby shop - and of course Rose made a joke about it considering she's quite familiar with being a shop girl. Though it wasn't thrilling this time around much like it wasn't years ago, it was only temporary.

Progression was a good when in the middle of an unfortonate circumtance, but Rose noticed exactly how stressed out the Doctor has been over the past two weeks since being zapped in 1969.

While the girls worked at their jobs he's been couped up in the flat working out the whole Sally Sparrow/Weeping Angel/folder situation and with little to no success. Very rarely would he stay in bed with her if she wanted to knock off a few hours of rest, which was a little odd since sleep wasn't necessary for her now that she was genetically advanced, but after being transported here she's been exhausted. The Doctor may push his sleep cycle a lot more than her, but he needed a decent night's rest.

The problem was though he's been having nightmares ever since they've arrived here. He said without the TARDIS being around, he was susceptible to having them without Her calming hums. Rose assured him that he could always talk to her about them, but he insisted that he was fine and would just continue working.

When she came out of her room every morning, she saw him in his same position on the living room couch, glasses perched on his nose, hair all askew from running his hands through it constantly, his eyes bulging, and a dusting of a stubble gracing his face. In simpler terms, he looked like a definite mad man - a mad man _without_ his box, though. If he wasn't glued to the couch, he would run outside and take short walks before coming back inside and resuming his activities. They followed him one day and caught him head over to Wester Drumlins and vandalize the property by writing the phrases found on the photos with black ink.

Rose had said it as a joke, but he ended up sonicing various objects in the flat like she expected. He even took hold of the toaster and telephone and attached them together along with some duct tape, wires and other small items and turned it into some kind of device. He said it could pick up energy readings from the Weeping Angels. She was amazed, not by much, that the gadget he created had another property as it also boiled eggs. On one of their first days since arriving here, they went with him as he walked past a farm with the device - and accidentally blew up some hens.

Channeling his inner MacGyver.

Both Rose and Martha kept a close eye on him. The last thing they needed was for him to slip into some kind of depressed state. Some days, Rose didn't even want to leave him alone all that time with nothing to do but wear himself out. She just hoped that this whole thing would end because he's been freaking out so much that he's isolated himself from her again.

"What're we gonna do with him?" Martha asked during their break.

Rose picked at her nails and shook her head. "I hate seeing him like this. He needs to get out."

"Definitely. I heard one of the customers mention something about a funfair that arrived a few days ago," Martha suggested.

"Yeah? Sounds good. I think there's a dancing club a few blocks away from here, too." Hopefully it could turn the Doctor's mood around and take his mind off of the stress.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The Doctor was at a loss. Days it's been. _Days._ Bordering on two weeks since they've been stranded on Earth and the situation hasn't changed much. He's studied everything from the folder, back to front, over and over again. He knows he has to find this Billy bloke. He's read through the transcript and knew that he had to create a digital recorder and an autocue so he can do his part of the conversation and send it to Sally Sparrow and some Larry Nightingale. _Coincidental bird names?_ This was all easier said than done given the available resources in this time period, where such items were beginning to come into fruition. And shamefully and completely not to his good, he wasn't carrying any of the required parts in his pockets.

Wonderful.

As if the struggle to work all of that out, he's shamefully detached himself from the girls - especially Rose. Much as he needed to be near her, the pain in his head only worsened, forcing him to distance himself. Though he would fight through it just to be able to taste her kiss and hold her in his arms, at this point he felt like banging his head against the table.

Neither of the girls deserved this. But he was doing all he could to get them the hell out of this place and back to the TARDIS. If they had access to the Old Girl, this would all be so much easier and he'd have all the resources he would need, but alas those nasty buggers were trying to get their hands on it in the present day. This was definitely starting to get worse than when he was exiled here so long ago.

He heard the door open and both girls enter. "Doctor," Martha called out. "We've gotta nice surprise for you."

"Brilliant," he said distractedly as he fiddled with his timey-wimey detector.

Rose moved to the back of the couch and placed her hands on his shoulders. "Doctor, please take a break," she told him. "You haven't moved in two weeks, you need to get out for a little bit."

"I've been out," he defended, holding up his device. "I go out every day-"

"No, I mean you need to get your head out of that folder for a few hours."

The Doctor ran his hand through his hair and made an irritated noise. "Rose, I know you mean well, but I'm busy trying to figure out how to communicate with this Billy bloke…" he lifted up the transcript before throwing it down on the table out of frustration.

She came around to stand in front of him before crouching down and taking his face in her hands. "Hey," she said softly. "I know you're working your hardest, but all we're asking for is a few hours away from this…mess." She gently rubbed his in growing scruff. "You're not looking well because of it. Please do this for us, Doctor. For _me."_

He closed his eyes and sighed. As much as he'd rather spend time tackling with the folder contents, a break probably would do him some good. Poor Rose and Martha have been patient with him these past two weeks. It was the least he could do for them until they get out of here.

He nodded and Rose patted his cheek. "Thanks. Get yourself fixed up, and," she gestured at his face, "you'll wanna shave. You'll like what we have in mind."

She smiled and he smirked at her before getting up and heading into the en suite. Shutting the door, he stood by the sink and saw his reflection for the first time in two weeks. Blimey, he _did_ look horrible. Dark circles were under his eyes, which were slightly bloodshot, and the stubble on his face turned into manly scruff to the point where his sideburns were almost unnoticeable. How could he have let himself get like this? And the girls were cautious with him throughout these weeks. They were right, maybe a few hours would help him out.

Ten minutes later, the Doctor was met with the pleasing reflection of his baby faced complexion once again. Exiting the en suite Rose smiled warmly at him as she came over to him and patted his clean shaven face.

"There's my Doctor," she said before raising herself up to kiss him.

At contact the strong wave of agony rushed through his mind, increasing his craving. Like every other time, he submitted and pulled her close with his hands rested on her hips. She broke the kiss the moment he absent mindedly began to slide his hands lower. Shaking himself off, he cleared his throat as the women took him out. His hunger to bond with her was rising to the point where he could barely contain it. Still, he held himself back as hard as he could.

He was going to work through it all, even if it was going to break him.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The first place the girls took the Doctor to was the funfair, and for once in a long while he looked to be at peace. They played various games and went on a bunch of rides. They even bought cotton candy, which he happily ate like a little kid.

After about two hours, they went to a nearby club for dancing. Martha didn't mind sitting by the bar while Rose took the Doctor's hand and led him to the dance floor. _'Sugar, Sugar'_ was being played and the Doctor inwardly chuckled as it was pretty relatable to his craving. Moving with Rose to the song was peaceful indeed, but his head was pounding so hard with his hearts beating so rapidly he could barely hear the song anymore. Still fighting the burn, he dipped her a few times and smiled when she giggled.

It felt normal, while nerve racking at the same time.

It was getting late and the girls were getting tired, so they headed back to their flat. "Just watching you two dance all night has made me tired," Martha joked when they entered.

"Shame you didn't wanna join us on the dance floor," Rose said.

Martha shrugged. "It's not a problem. It was nice to see the Doctor back on his feet."

He nodded. "Yeah, thanks girls." He let go of Rose's hand and made his way to his spot on the couch, which was caving in from him sitting in it day in and day out. "Well, I'll get right back to work, then. Night ladies."

Rose exchanged a look with Martha before the latter patted her arm then left to go to her room. It was nice to see the Doctor back to his old chipper self for about five hours, but now he was back to his starting point. She hated seeing him act this way. He needed to relax a little more.

Moving to the couch, she sat beside him just as he pulled out his specs. "Did you have fun tonight?" she asked him.

The Doctor nodded as he lifted a piece of paper. "Yes. Thanks for that." She studied him for a moment before raising a hand to take the paper out of his hands then removed his glasses from his nose, placing them on the table. He stared at her for a moment, a confused expression on his face. "Rose?"

"Doctor, please," she said softly, bringing a hand up to his cheek. "Take a break from all of this."

"Rose, I just spent five hours away from these," he gestured at the folder and the papers sprawled out on the table. "I had a break, but now I have to get back to work."

"You gotta relax," she stressed. "You're driving yourself mad-"

"I know," he cut in sharply before speaking rapidly. "But if I don't solve this puzzle, we'll end up stuck here even longer, and that's the last thing that I want at the moment. Bad enough it's been two weeks, I can't even take two more _minutes!"_ He took a deep breath. "How did I do this? Theoretically speaking, I've already _done_ this, but how?" He shook his head, feeling his temples ache the more Rose sat next to him. "I don't…" he said quietly, closing his eyes. "I dunno what to do, Rose. I need…" he trailed off.

Rose gently ran the backs of her fingers down his sideburn. "What, Doctor? What d'you need?"

_You._ He had to tell her. How exactly could he bring this up?

Opening his eyes, he saw her own softening, which applied more pain to the back of his head and caused his insides to shake uncontrollably. Since regenerating into his current body, he's noted how much more tactile he's become just by a simple touch. And just being around Rose constantly after accepting themselves as a couple all he wanted was her. No…he _needed_ her.

Call it impulsive or an inclination, but that thread he's been hanging on snapped.

Ignoring the ache he raised a hand to the back of her head and pulled her in for a fierce kiss, muffling her quiet squeal of surprise. It took her a moment to register what was going on until she reciprocated, her hands tangling in his hair. He growled as he nipped her lower lip prompting her to open up for him. The beautiful sound of her moan came to his ears when his tongue met hers and he loved it every time he heard it. She shifted until she came to sit upon his lap, and he wrapped his arms around her back, holding her tightly. His eyes were screwed shut as the throbbing in the back of his mind grew to feel like drums pounding in synchronicity at the base of his skull.

He tried his hardest to fight the pain, as well as think rationally to realize what he was doing. The burn was driving him mad to bond with her, and while he was restraining the urge to form the link when he didn't even _talk_ to her about it yet, his craving for her was making him dizzy and unable to think properly.

Rose wasn't expecting such intensity to catch her off guard but she accepted it all the same. Over the past two weeks since being stranded, he's been isolating himself from everything and even before all of this when they've returned to their old ways of kissing and cuddling, nothing seemed this…desperate.

But she asked him what he needed and this must have been what he was referring to - the big step. If so, then she'll be happy to give it to him.

Moving off of his lap, she knelt beside him without breaking the kiss. Dropping her hands from his hair, she grabbed a hold of his lapels and pulled him down with her as she rested her back on the cushions of the couch. A low hum came from the back of his throat when he landed on top of her. His hands went up along her sides before sliding one of them down her thigh, making her breath hitch. She crossed her ankles over his calves, trapping him as he propped himself up on his forearms. Somehow Rose managed to break the kiss when breathing became a need.

If he was in his right mind, the Doctor would've taken that as his chance to stop himself from losing any more control - or what was left of it - but his mind was racing and burning so much he couldn't form a proper thought. Her nails scratched his scalp when he began to kiss his way down her neck to her clavicle, his teeth lightly grazing her skin while one of his hands peeked under her shirt to trace circles over her ribs. Behind his eyes was a blurry white light that was tearing a hole through his head, the stabbing pain increasing more and more. Growling, he lifted his head and claimed her lips again in a bruising manner.

A small bit of sanity was still intact despite the dizzying whirlwind his mind was currently stuck in. This was wrong, so, so _wrong._ He was a _Time Lord._ He had better control than this. But then again, Rose gave off a certain effect that made him forego any doubts and fears and drove him mad in a good sense. He's held back before the start of their relationship and even during. Maybe he could let himself go. Maybe it was the time.

No, this wasn't how he wanted it to happen. Apparently his body had other plans.

Out of sheer impulse, the hand he was using to caress the skin of her side lifted itself up on its own accord, moving up to Rose's head. He felt his fingers land on her temple…

…then felt her recoil at his touch, bringing him out of the dizzying state he was lost in.

Rose broke the kiss with a gasp the second she felt the Doctor's fingertips on her temple, causing a quick flash. She widened her eyes and saw the dazed look on his face. Did he even know what he was doing? She was warily when things entered her mind. That was a bit shocking to feel, but…it was different. And she trusted him. If that was what he wanted, maybe she was ready for it.

The Doctor stopped breathing altogether when she backed away. Though he wasn't intending to create the bond without her consent, he couldn't stop his instincts from trying. Now he ruined everything, and now she'll hate him for doing such a thing.

"I-I'm sorry…" he breathed out with a shake of his head. "I-I-" He moved off of her and stood by the couch.

"Doctor-"

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," he responded quickly as he made his way out the front door, leaving Rose alone.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**Errrrr…*nervous laugh* Please don't hurt me, I'm fragile! *hides away* No worries! It leads into something, I promise!**

**Response to _Candy thy Cutie:_ I blushed hard when I read that comment from chapter 36 haha! Oh, sweetie, just know that I love you too *muah* ;)**

**Response to _Random fangirl:_ Oh my crazy, insane fangirl, how I love you so! Thank you so much! Of course Disney is awesome, you're _never_ too old for it! I'm a kid at heart hehe Zoinks! ;D**

**Response to _newboy:_ Are you psychic? 'Cause you always know what's coming up in my next chapters lol :D *special high five***

**Response to the _Guest reviewer_ from the previous chapter: Thank you so much! I'm glad you're enjoying this ;)**


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